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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Vivek Wallace Speaks on Stevens vs GGG, Canelo’s Weight (Reason for Concern?), & Zab Judah!

stevens22Mark C. (Hollywood, FL): Looks like Curtis Stevens has talked his way into a showdown with GGG. I like Steven’s power and his heart. Do you think he can pull off the upset?

Vivek W.: When you have two heavy punchers like this, anything is possible. But I wouldn’t advise anyone to drop any ducats in the bucket! Sometimes in life we have to be careful what we wish for! I won’t go out on a limb and say, unequivocally, that Stevens loses. But when you examine things a bit closer, I really don’t know that his chances are as great as he may think. I love his confidence, and I think you have to respect a young lion in the sport who feels strong enough about his talent to not only call out the biggest star in his realm, but actually go forward with the plans to take him out. That being said, GGG has been in beast mode lately, and there’s really nothing major for Stevens to get out of this fight.

Cleverly and Barker: Heartbreak In Wales, Tears Of Joy In Atlantic City!

IMAG0001What a rollercoaster night of emotions British boxing fans experienced last night! In Cardiff, Wales, unbeaten WBO light-heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly was the victim of one of the most one-sided beat-downs seen, as the lethal-hitting monster that is Sergey Kovalev won by crushing yet at the same time seemingly effortless fashion.

Simply put, the fight was no contest from the start, as the Russian terror knocked the unbeaten Welshman senseless, to the point where the referee was all but holding Cleverly up at the end of that torrid 3rd-round. The slaughter should have been stopped then, as Cleverly was totally gone and seemed out of it as he sat on his stool. Cleverly actually appeared to come to in the corner and he was allowed out for the 4th. The inevitable was swift in coming, however.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Nathan Cleverly – round by round breakdown of the fight

UEFA Women's Under 17's Draw(photo credit: Main Events) Sergey Kovalev has emerged as a force to be reckoned with and he is like a breath of fresh air. Fans like to see boxers winning decisively beyond doubt and leaving no room for controversy and politics. Kovalev did just that and perhaps established himself as a leading pay-per-view star. Here is a quick breakdown of his winning effort:

Round 1: Not much of initial probing and testing, the differences in their stances reflected the difference in their styles. Cleverly leaned a little forward most of the time smoothly shifting weight between offense and defense. Kovalev had a puncher’s stance and kept his weight on the back foot as a rule but shifted form foot to foot with punches. His footwork was much faster and sharper than Cleverly’s as was his hand speed. His superior range orientation allowed him to keep his guard low and the hands free for punching. His defense relied heavily on counter punching and reflex. He used the jab only as a range finder for his left hooks and right hands. Cleverly did not throw or land anything significant and this would become a worrying pattern for him.

Jacobs, Quillin and Dirrell “Get In The Ring” To Knock Out Childhood Cancer, Obesity and Bullying

IMG_6465Yesterday, at the Starrett City Boxing Club in Brooklyn, the “Get In The Ring” foundation held its first ever awareness event. The charity targets childhood cancer, obesity and bullying and has been raising awareness since its inception earlier this year. Founder and cancer survivor Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs was joined by WBO middleweight champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin and super middleweight Anthony Dirrell.

Raffles were held to help raise money. With guests winning anything from signed boxing gloves, to a pair of tickets to see Jacobs fight Giovanni Lorenzno, August 19 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.

“This feels better than the fight itself. I’m happy that a lot of people came out to support me,” Jacobs said. “I’m really trying to target some key issues in our community, so to know that people have my back means a lot to me.”

The Top Heavyweights Of 21 Years Ago Vs. Today’s Top-10: Who Wins?

wladimir65How fit and healthy is today’s heavyweight division? Did we fight fans have a better time of it in previous decades, or are today’s big men holding up the “glamour division” in good stead?

Picking up an old issue of Ring Magazine recently, the August 1992 issue, I scanned the top-10 heavyweight rankings. A great bunch of fighters are listed on the page of that 21-year-old issue, that’s for sure – but would the likes of Holyfield, Lewis and Mercer have beaten the cream of today’s crop?

Read on and see what I think!

The heavyweight top-10: Ring Magazine, August issue 1992 VS. Today’s heavyweight top-10: Ring Magazine

Daniel Geale: Aussie born, but made in America…hopefully

1808“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – Emma Lazarus, 1883

After being a professional fighter for almost nine years, 32 year old Daniel Geale will finally take his first steps through the “Golden Door” and showcase his talents on the “biggest stage of boxing” this weekend.

On Saturday night, August 17th, at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, the effective aggressor from “Down Under” will defend his IBF Middleweight strap against the always crafty Darren Barker in the main event of the evening, which is slated to be broadcast on HBO with a start time of 9:45PM EST/PST.

Cleverly vs. Kovalev: Is Nathan clever enough to deal with the pressure?

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This Saturday on HBO Nathan Cleverly and Sergey Kovalev will get their biggest test to date when they collide in the ring live from Cardiff, Wales. The stage is set, both men unbeaten and fell ready to take the next step up the ladder at the light heavyweight division.

Can Cleverly step up to the challenge of facing a dangerous fighter who will thrown combination punches and with major power in both hands? Will Kovalev be able to handle the pressure of being under the bright lights of HBO, in the Welshman’s backyard, and if the fight makes it to the championship rounds will stamina play a role having only had 57 rounds in 22 fights?

The winner almost certainly will get future HBO options, a pay increase, and will be one step closer to taking on the king of the division.

“Real Deal” Geale vs. “Dazzling” Darren – Daniel Geale vs. Darren Barker Preview & Predictions

Geale-Barker(Photo Credit: Mario Serrano – Gary Shaw Productions) By Robert Uzzell and Chip Mitchell: On Saturday August 17, 2013, HBO presents the IBF Middleweight world title clash between champion Daniel “Real Deal” Geale and “Dazzling” Darren Barker. Oddly enough, the fight between Geale (from Australia) and Barker (England) will take place at the Revel Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This will be Geale’s 5th defense of his IBF title. He was stripped of the WBA title for refusing to fight Gennady Golovkin in favor of a rematch with Anthony Mundine. This will also be Geale’s first trip to American soil as a professional.