Unbeaten welterweight Antonio Orozco stops Miguel Angel Huerta in two sizzling rounds

01/25/201401/25/2014 James Slater

Last night in Indio, California in a fight that went out on Fox Sports, unbeaten welterweight talent Antonio Orozco scored a thrilling if short TKO win after being hurt badly in the opening round of a violent slugfest with fellow Mexican Miguel Angel Huerta.

Orozco, managed by Golden Boy and looked at by many as a future world champion, was cracked hard by a full-blooded left hook to the jaw in the opening session. The 26-year-old held the shot well, in doing so proving he has a chin, and then had to take another left hand. Orozco overcame the toughest moment of his now 19-bout pro career.

In the 2nd, 35-year-old veteran Huerta went for it but, in breathtaking fashion, Orozco completely turned the fight around with a blistering left hook of his own.

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Lamont Peterson vs. Dierry Jean: Official Weigh-in Results, Final Thoughts, and Predictions —Charlo, Rosado, Matthysse, and More!

01/25/201401/24/2014 Paul Jones

By Paul “Paparazzi” Jones & Justin Jones: Washington, DC — Official weigh-ins for the “Lamont Peterson vs. Dierry Jean” IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship clash were held this afternoon at the Marriott Renaissance hotel (Washington, DC).

Lamont Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KOs), who celebrates his 30th birthday today, weighed in at 139.5 lbs which was under the contracted 140-pound limit. Dierry Jean (25-0, 17 KOs) also made weight tipping the scales at 139 lbs.

Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (22-0, 11 KOs) and “King” Gabriel Rosado (21-7, 13 KOs, 1 NC) made the Jr. Middleweight 154-pound limit without incidence. Charlo weighed in at 153 lbs, while Rosado weighed 154 lbs.

Comprehensive weigh-in results for the televised portion of the card appear below:

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IBF Orders Froch/Groves Rematch!

01/25/201401/24/2014 Phil Barnett

Carl Froch has been ordered to give domestic rival George Groves a rematch within 90 days or be stripped of his world title by the International Boxing Federation.

Froch claimed on Friday that Groves rejected “a seven-figure sum” for a second chance after their controversial fight in November, which the champion won with a contentious ninth-round stoppage to keep his WBA and IBF belts.

Groves admits he has turned down an offer but is adamant he is as eager as ever to get back into the ring with Froch, and his cause has been helped after the IBF decided the bout was controversial enough to merit an immediate rematch.

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Garcia vs. Burgos: Is Burgos just a stepping stone for Mikey’s big plans for 2014?

01/24/201401/24/2014 Chris Carlson

Fresh off a banner year for boxing in 2013 this Friday and Saturday will be the busiest fight weekend so far for 2014. And since the rematch between Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares is postponed due to injury this will also be the last major network (not HBO2 Macua) championship fight card until March, when the boxing year will really heat up.

Normally one of the major network premium channels will take advantage of the bye week on the Saturday a little over a week before the Super Bowl.

Shane Mosely vs. Antontio Margarito was the biggest fight that I recall of late that filled a void from the overdose of hype before the big game.

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Peterson vs. Jean/Rosado vs. Charlo: Showtime fights this Saturday feature “real” matchups

01/24/201401/24/2014 Chris Carlson

by Chris Carlso, photos © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones/ESB — Counter programming was the norm last year and this Saturday night marks the first battle in the ongoing war that turned cold between HBO a.k.a. Top Rank and Company and Golden Boy now in exclusive cahoots with Showtime who is broadcasting their event from the nation’s capital city Washington D.C.

Showtime who may not lead HBO in subscribers had clearly been the better network pound for pound the last 2 years.
The two fights that top the bill are very legit with the main event between Lamont Peterson and Dierry Jean basically a 50-50 type fight on paper. Peterson comes in a slight favor according to the betting websites yet more and more fans and scribes are leaning towards the challenger Dierry Jean.

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Carl Froch says a Vegas fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Junior motivates him more than a Groves return

01/23/2014 James Slater

It seems Carl Froch will not be facing bitter British rival George Groves in a rematch – not in his next fight, anyway. “The Cobra,” who says he has many options, told Sky Sports Ringside that a fight with Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Junior is “closer to being made than a Groves rematch.” Froch also said that the idea of facing Chavez in Las Vegas, where he has never boxed, motivates him hugely.

Under fierce pressure from Groves to grant him a rematch – with many fans also asking for a second slice of the action that ended prematurely back in November – Froch says he is not all that interested in “going over old ground and beating George Groves again.”

Froch said that should he fight twice this year, as he usually does, he will look at facing Groves and Julio Chavez Junior but, “not in that order.”

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Andre Ward Ready For A Great 2014

01/22/2014 Mike Gonzalez

World Super Middle Weight Champion Andre Ward is in Spokane Washington showing his support for amateur boxing. Ward is the last male from the United States to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He achieved the feat in 2004 and says his presence is about motivating the young boxers to be the best in the world. “I’m excited, I think it’s important and I’ve been through the program. I think it’s important to show up and let the young ladies and young men see your presence, talk to them and let them know that you support and care for them, “said Ward.

Ward is considered by many the number two pound for pound best fighter in the world. The only person ahead of Ward on that list in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Ward who is considered one of the most gifted fighters says amateur male boxers in the United States are just as talented as any in the world, despite being shut out of any medals in the 2012 Olympics.

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USA Boxing Championships Off To Great Start In Spokane

01/22/2014 Mike Gonzalez

178 boxers from 47 different states are in Spokane Washington trying to win the USA Amateur Boxing crown. The first round of the tournament got started at the HUB in Liberty Lake, a suburb of Spokane Monday. I spoke with organizers about the economic impact the boxers, fans and coaches are making on the region. I also ran into Jack Mosley, father of Sugar Shane Mosley and now trainer to his grandson, Sugar Shane Mosley Jr. The elder Mosley knows a little something about taking boxers to tournaments across the country. He guided his son to to a US Lightweight Championship in 89 and 92.

Shane would later become a champion in several divisions as a professional and is considered by many boxing historians one of the greatest of all time. But Monday night it was Sugar Shane Mosley Jr. who was trying to make his mark in the sport. The 23 year is 31-9 over his amateur career and a good looking athlete who looks strikingly similar to his dad. “We are going to try to go the the Olympics if possible but we’ve got to win this fight, win this tournament national tournament first,” said Jack Mosley, before the bout.

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Mayweather Jr. Suggests That 9/15/2015 Will Be His Last Fight: Exit or Drama?

01/21/201401/21/2014 Vitali Shaposhnikov

Apparently Floyd Mayweather Jr. expects to step into the boxing ring as a fighter for the last time on September 15, 2015.

At a dinner in South Africa, Mayweather Jr. told the attendees that he remembers his first fight when he was a kid in 1987, closing with: “September 2015 will be my last.”

Technically speaking, Mayweather Jr. could retire anytime, especially if he is able to keep his perfect streak up until his Showtime contract is fulfilled. After that, he can dive head first into promotion and possibly even training. But is that what Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Lucian Bute Waits Til the End: Defeat in Montreal

01/19/201401/19/2014 George Goddiess

After a long and extended delay, perhaps the highest profile fight in Canadian boxing history has finally ended. A fight that seemed inevitable has finally occurred despite the roadblocks. The fight itself turned out to be an underwhelming affair after all the accolades leading up to it. Lucian Bute held sturdy and was not stopped like many of his detractors declared would happen but he lost in a way that many could not expect. He lacked offensive urgency, his uppercut to the head and viscous liver shot never once became a factor. Bute had several sharp jabs and some occasional left hands.

Then suddenly in the final three minutes Bute assaulted Jean Pascal with everything in his arsenal. A first it was hard to tell if he was playing possum because Pascal then jumped out and sprung into attack. Then, Bute went back onto the assault once again until the end of the round. When the fight was over and the twelve rounds were completed there was no doubt about who would win and the right man was given the nod on the scorecards by margins of four points on one card and seven on the other two.

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