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The latest boxing top stories and breaking news

Carlos Molina Dominates Cory Spinks

molina3By Joe Harrison: Junior middleweight contender Carlos Molina (21-5-2, 6 KOs) defeated former two-division champion Cory Spinks (39-8, 11 KOs) by a unanimous decision in front of 5,354 screaming fans at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL. The contest was the main event on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

Spinks showed very little fight as Molina frustrated him with his accurate punches and stellar defensive skills throughout the 12-round IBF eliminator. Spinks simply could not find an answer as Molina pressed forward and bullied him around the ring. Although Spinks was able to land an effective punch here and there, he mostly resorted to clinching to avoid further punishment.

Spinks was deducted a point in round four for excessive holding. Spinks was also dropped by a left hook in round eleven. In round twelve, Spinks received a standing eight count when it was ruled that the ropes held him up from going down again. In the end, the scores were 119-106 twice and 120-105, all for Molina.

Who will Mayweather fight next?

floyd434By Robert Jackson: The P4P King Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO’s) of boxing has penciled in on his schedule 2 dates for the 2013 boxing season: May 4, 2013 and September 14, 2013. But what has not been penciled in are his opponents for either date. On the short list of Mayweather foes are Robert Guerrero, Canelo Alvarez and Timothy Bradley (only a rumor). Other possible foes could be Austin Trout, a Miguel Cotto rematch, Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez.

Mayweather the consummate businessman has always said “if it makes money it makes sense” and any of the fights on his short list will definitely make money only because of the chance that Mayweather could lose. A high number of Mayweather fight buys are made by buyers hoping to see Mayweather clearly defeated in the ring. What’s also interesting are the dates that Mayweather has chosen to fight on – both of which are traditional Mexican Holidays. So it can be speculated that Mayweather will want to fight Mexican fighters to maximize the profitability of these fights. So that bodes well for Canelo and Guerrero.

Manuel Charr talks Klitschko, Wilder, Saglam and more!

HayeCharrExclusive interview by Dan Emicus

Having pursued kickboxing initially, what made you to want to switch to boxing?

“I started kickboxing because I liked combat sports. But I didn’t do it for a long time because it felt so easy to reach all my goals. I became German Champion and European Champion. There was no real hard competition. It didn’t feel like a big challenge to me. But I like challenges. I thought that in boxing it’s harder to get to the top. You can’t become European Champion in two years in boxing. And of course, it’s nearly impossible to make a living out of kickboxing while the best boxers in the world make good money. So that definitely contributed to the decision, too.”

From amateur kickboxing straight into professional boxing, how did you find the transition between two different combat sports? Most boxers with an ex-kickboxing background find it difficult to un-learn certain habits, such as engaging their opponents squarely, but you’ve never seemed to have such issues?

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. – Decisions, Decisions, Decided

floyd32By Marc Livitz: In a bit less than one hundred days time, the world’s greatest fighter will take his place in the ring once again, a full year removed from his previous trip to the same place in the same city. While his space in Canastota all but secured, we could possibly acknowledge his tenure in the Gall of Fame as equally credible. Until that day comes, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will continue to turn heads, garner attention (for better or for worse) and get many of us to tune in to his next bout, which could always be his last.

In any case, the gears of professional boxing, which have been able to effectively run smoothly with the help of younger and fresh talent will screech to a halt whenever Floyd decides to officially announce his selected opponent for Saturday, May 4, 2013.

The recent revelations that Mayweather himself sets the venue, ticket prices, pay per view rates and perhaps even the price of extra cheese on the nachos is more than worth its weight in platinum that he is in full command. Good for him. Maybe he’s set the template for fighters present and future that they more than anyone else in their close and at times far too close inner circles and they alone face the biggest risks. He does call Las Vegas home after all and maybe that’s why he feels so comfortable in the figurative position of dealer, pit boss and floor man.

Lucas Matthysse vs. Danny Garcia: Gogue’s big fight preview

15(Photo credit: Tom Casino/Showtime) By Joseph Herron: After the Argentine sharpshooter’s dominant and impressive performance over the outgunned Mike Dallas Jr. this past Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, most fight fans and boxing scribes are anxious to see an eventual showdown between two of the hardest punchers in the talent enriched 140 pound weight class, Lucas Matthysse versus Danny Garcia.
To wet the pugilistic whistle of the die-hard fight fan, boxing strategist and lifelong trainer James Gogue analyzes this perplexing match-up exclusively for Eastsideboxing.com.

Although many observers of the sport have a hard believing that Garcia’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, would be willing to pit their potential superstar against a dangerous fighter like the Argentine veteran, the 30 year fight trainer insists that a super fight between Garcia and Matthysse at Junior Welterweight is unavoidable.

“Despite the cynicism of most fight skeptics, Golden Boy has plans to begin cultivating this fan friendly bout,” explains the experienced fight trainer. “The GBP brass is confident that both fighters will continue knocking out their respective opposition to create an appropriate and dramatic build-up for this super fight at 140 pounds.”

Lucas Matthysse: Lightning Escapes The Bottle

07(Photo credit: Tom Casino/Showtime) By Marc Livitz: Ah, the weekend that was. Gratitude in multitudes should graciously be passed along to Showtime for offering the boxing public such a memorable top to bottom highly pleasing telecast.

In stark contrast to their three letter cable network rival in sports, the job from the SHO group was one to be commended. The knowledgeable triumvirate of International Boxing Hall of Fame member Al Bernstein, Canuck import Mauro Ranallo, and Brooklyn’s own Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi have managed to serve a most delectable dish of the sweet science and its proper explanation to the viewing public.

Three fights were shown in primetime slots in addition to preliminary bouts being shown on a sister station. However, without any confusion to be had the evening almost wholly belonged to Lucas Matthysse. Of course, all due respect must be shown to the victorious Jermell Charlo and Jesus Soto Karass.

In the eyes of many, and not surprisingly in and of the opinion of those in the boxing know, the light welterweight division belongs to Mr. Juan Manuel Marquez. The giant wave of a foe conquered won’t soon meet its crest for “Dinamita”.

Third Man in the Ring: A Life of Montana Boxing Referee Russ Hansen

IMG_0395By Brian D’Ambrosio – Firm, loud and concise verbal commands come from the third man in the ring. The action peppered with strident oral cues and succinct commands such as, “Time!”, “Break!”, “Watch the heads!”, “Stop Punching!” In the boxing ring, snappy orders address all situations. Indeed, boxers shuffle and jab to their own code.

Russ Hansen maintains order through communicating the necessary language. In a sport always on the verge of something chaotic – the true theatre of the unexpected – the referee anchors the fine line between stability and anarchy.

“My job is to make sure that the fighters keep it clean and to always think about the fighters’ safety,” says Russ Hansen, the face of the Montana boxing referee for decades. “No head butts, no low blows, to talk them out of the clenches. I work the fight and do what’s right. I’m the only one who can look into the fighter’s eyes, and that’s some responsibility.”

Matthysse destroys Dallas Jr.; Soto-Karass defeats Aydin

matthysse1By Bill Phanco: It took WBC interim light welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO’s) most of the 1st round to adjust to the hand speed of Mike Dallas Jr. (19-3-1, 8 KO’s) tonight but once he did, he tagged him with a monstrous overhand right late in the round that knocked Dallas Jr. clean out, sending him down face first on the canvas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The referee immediately stopped the fight after realizing that Dallas Jr. was out cold and wasn’t moving a muscle. The official stoppage was at 2:26 of the round.

Dallas Jr. was jabbing well in the early part of the fight, and tying Matthysse up each time he could get in close to land his power punches. However, as the round wore on, Matthysse began to catch Dallas Jr. with hard left hooks to the head and big right hands. You could see with the power that Matthysse was throwing his shots that Dallas Jr. wasn’t going to last very long in this fight.

Matthysse’s power was pretty impressive in this fight because he wasn’t just punching big power with his left hand. He was also throwing with good power with his right as well, and there aren’t too many fighters at 140 that would have been able to last long tonight against him.