British Boxing

British Boxing News

Groves: I’m going to KO Glen Johnson

YouTube video
By Michael Collins: Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves (15-0, 12 KO’s) thinks he’s going to stop 43-year-old Glen Johnson (51-17-2, 35 KO’s) in their fight tonight at the ExCel Arena, Dockland, London, United Kingdom.

Groves said to Sky Sports News “Clearly Glencoffe knows how to survive, even if he doesn’t come to survive. Stopping him would make a huge statement. I do expect to stop him don’t expect him to just fall over.”

This is interesting because I’ve seen quite a few of Groves’ fights and I don’t consider him to be a big puncher. He may have a lot of knockouts but those knockouts came against pretty much entirely British level fighters or Euro fighters. There’s not much quality among his knockout victims in terms of world class ability. In fact, not one of Groves’ knockouts has come against a world class opponent.

Groves has faced one decent fighter in his career, James DeGale, and many people think Groves was given a controversial decision in that fight last year.

Khan: A fight with Brook is possible in the future

007KhanIMG_0152By Michael Collins, photo Tom Casino/Showitme – Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KO’s) says he wouldn’t mind fighting Kell Brook if he can somehow, someway beat IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander in their fight in March. Khan says he might fight Brook under the condition that he holds the IBF 147 pound title, but he doesn’t seem all that eager either. Part of the problem that Khan has is he wants to avenge his losses to Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson, and if he chooses to put those fights off to go and take on Brook he won’t be able to quiet his critics in that manner. The only way he can do that is if he beats the guys that beat him.

Khan said to thesun.co.uk “If he [Brook] can get past that [Alexander], then there is a chance we could get it on in the future.”

The future likely means when and if Khan can take care of business at 140, and it also depends on whether Brook can beat Alexander and then hold onto the title long enough until Khan can move in weight in the future to face him. Those are all big ifs because Brook isn’t a world beater as we saw in his life and death struggle to beat Carson Jones.

Khan has a fight tomorrow night against Carlos Molina in Los Angeles, and he really needs this fight if he wants to be taken seriously as a contender.

Tony Bellew: Perched on the Edge

bellew42By Padraig Ivory: Liverpool’s Tony Bellew is coursing the perimeter of the light heavyweight division’s elite. The past 12 months have proven a successful exercise in raising the profile of the 30 year old fighter. Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has insured Tony is a regular feature on Sky Sports TV as the path to a second world title challenge unfolds.

This year has incorporated three successful outings for the rangy orthodox Bellew. April brought a TKO win as Danny McIntosh failed to grapple the British light heavyweight from the Liverpudlian. The build up to this bout had enthralled the boxing public as the pair traded verbal jabs throughout. When the time for combat arrived it was the 6’2 frame of Bellew that lived up to the pre-fight bravado as McIntosh met the canvas in round 4 and decisively once more in round 5.

Khan doesn’t mind if he’s boring on Saturday against Molina

YouTube video
By Michael Collins: Former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KO’s) plans on fighting with a lot more self-control when he steps inside the ring on Saturday night against unbeaten Carlos Molina (17-0, 7 KO’s) in Los Angeles, California. Khan knows he can’t afford to lose another fight after losing his last two, so he’s going to be looking to fight a completely disciplined fight where he takes zero changes of getting hurt.

Khan said to thesun.co.uk “It’s all about minimum risk. I will beat up my opponent until they quit. I don’t have to go in there and knock them out. I do that I could start making mistakes and maybe get caught.”

It sounds like Khan is going to focus on throwing a lot of jabs and single power shots instead of the flashy combinations that he liked to throw in the past to try and KO his opponents and impress the crowds. That could work for him but Khan would still be presented with opponents that will walk through his guard to get in close enough to work him over in the same way that Lamont Peterson did.

That’s going to be a problem for Khan because he’ll either be forced to run, shove, hold or fight. We found out already that Khan can’t run for 12 rounds, so he won’t be able to use that for a long fight. Khan also can’t shove because most referees won’t put up with that and will warn Khan and then likely take points off.

Khan in comeback bout against Molina on Showtime this Saturday

YouTube video
By Marcus Richardson: Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KO’s) will be getting back in the ring in a fight against unbeaten Carlos Molina (17-0, 7 KO’s) this Saturday night on December 15th on Showtime at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. Khan has lost his last two fights and he’s looking to end his losing streak against the 5’6’ Molina, who isn’t much of a puncher and isn’t all that quick either but he’s a decent fighter.

Khan is pretty lucky that his promoters at Golden Boy still believe in him enough to put him in the main event on this card because losing back to back fights sometimes has a way of sending former champions to undercards instead of the top of the bill fights. However, if Khan loses this fight to you’ve to imagine that he’ll be demoted to undercard fights in the future until he proves he can beat good opposition.

Khan was knocked out in his last fight against WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia last July in a fight where Khan got lured into a war by Garcia’s father Angel Garcia, who angered Khan during their press conferences with his trash talking. Khan lost his temper and fought with anger and it cost him the fight when he was knocked down in the 3rd and twice more in the 4th round before the fight was halted.

Ricky Burns off Saturday’s card; will next fight on January 26th

Ricky Burns off Saturday’s card; will next fight on January 26thBy Marcus Richardson: Alex Morrison, the promoter for WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s), was unable to find a replacement opponent for Jose Ocampo for this Saturday night for Burns’s previously scheduled fight at the ExCel Arena in London, England. Morrison attempted to find someone after Ocampo pulled out but the fighter they were looking at getting Derry Matthews didn’t agree to the fight.

Morrison said to STV “Ricky will not fight this weekend. We couldn’t find an opponent for him to fight. He was offered a 10 round fight but decided not to take it. We’re now looking at January 26 for the next title defense and hopefully that will take place in Glasgow.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was hoping to get Burns to agree to fight WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner on February 16th, but with Morrison not mentioning that as option it doesn’t appear that there’s any interest in that fight on Burns’s team as of now. That’s too bad because Broner wanted to get a chance to grab Burns’ belt after failing to get a fight with Burns last year when Burns held the WBO super featherweight title and Broner was his mandatory challenger.

Khan: I’m ready for Carlos Molina; I’m a better fighter now

YouTube video
By Michael Collins: Former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KO’s) thinks he’s improved since his 4th round knockout loss to WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia last July. Khan faces Carlos Molina (17-0, 7 KO’s) this Saturday night in a make for break fight for Khan at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. Khan can’t lose this fight, and he probably won’t because Molina has been picked out special by his promoters so that he doesn’t have another slip up like he’d had in his last two fights against Garcia and Lamont Peterson.

Khan has a new trainer Virgil Hunter and he believes that he’s really improving under his guidance.

Khan said to Sky Sports News “I’m a better fighter [now] by far because I would not fight Garcia the way I did. I’ve changed my fighting style a lot and it proves I’m doing something right.”

It’s a normal response for fighters or people in general to look back at mistakes and want to do it different the next time around. However, that still doesn’t mean that Khan would get past a Garcia in a rematch because Garcia would make adjustments to Khan fighting in a more conservative manner by taking the fight to him with pressure and forcing him to fight for his life. That’s the problem.