At 49-years-old, an age where most late (baby) boomers are thinking more about their retirement portfolios than about trading leather with bloodthirsty opponents, the self-proclaimed “Alien” has another shot to rewrite boxing’s record books. A victory over Shumenov qualifies Hopkins as the oldest boxer in history to unify world championships.
So, again, a promoter announces “The biggest domestic fight in history”. This time it’s different faces, but the same old schtick is still there like an itch right in the middle of your back – just between the shoulder blades. This time, going against the grain of the Promoter, they could well be near the mark. I’m referring to the May 31st bout between Carl Froch and George Groves.
Froch/Groves 1 was a great piece of entertainment and some consider it one of the best UK boxing events for many, many years. I’m no different in that regard; for my part, and from the viewing position of my kitchen, I found the fight a real roller-coaster of all that can be great about boxing. From the early knockdown, to the early stoppage and the abject fickleness of the largely partisan crowd, the bout had all the hallmarks of a fight destined to be contested again; which meant leaving itself open to the wild vagaries of building more hype, tackling money in oak paneled offices, and planning the future – whatever the outcome.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2014) – IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins and WBA Super World Champion Beibut Shumenov held a press conference on Tuesday at The W Hotel in Washington, D.C., to formally announce their world championship unification on Saturday, April 19, live on SHOWTIME® from the DC Armory.
Bethlehem, PA: On March 15th Tomasz “Goral” Adamek and Vyacheslav “Czar” Glazkov will finally meet in the ring live on NBCSN Fight Night from Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. The fight was supposed to take place last November but Adamek had to postpone at the last minute when he came down with the flu. Now the match-up that everyone has been waiting for will happen in front of a packed house at Sands (less than forty tickets remain).
By Nathan Laryea: A professional prize fighter can be slave to many things. Commercial interests, fan pressure and promotional greed will push fighters into situations, and opponents, they may not have chosen for themselves. The power to choose, then, is a rare and valued commodity in this most dangerous of sports.
Few genuinely hold it. The pantomime surrounding Floyd Mayweather’s next choice of opponent is perhaps as clear an example there is of a fighter calling the shots in own career. Mayweather’s unique ability to bring masses of revenue into the sport has rendered him master of his own destiny, but that situation is significant because it is rare.
By Ihsan Munir: This past Saturday, March 08, 2014, we witnessed a clash between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo. Both men were coming off losses, Canelo to Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Angulo to Erislandy Lara. This was a fight for redemption for both of them. Or was it?
What many fight fans seem to forget about the sweet science is that often times the “science” is not seen in the ring or in the gym but in the boardroom. And this particular encounter is no different. Understand that the match-makers at Golden Boy were tasked with one thing and one thing only:
This past Saturday night, Alfredo Angulo (22-4-0) stepped inside the ring with the hope of proving to boxing fans as well as himself, that he is ready to face and beat top competition, eager to confirm that by defeating Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (43-1-1). The outcome was something that most boxing fans did not see coming: an absolute physical as well as psychological domination of Angulo by Canelo.
Not only was Alvarez able to land solid combinations all night long, he got nothing in return from Alfredo, who seemed to struggle to deliver anything of value from bell to bell.
As a young teenager Randy Petalcorin was touted as a future World Champion by none other than Manny Pacquiao. Later this year the once beaten twenty two year old from General Santos City hopes to fulfil that prediction when he challenges for the WBA light flyweight title.
Now based in the Melbourne suburb of Yarraville, the current WBA number 2 is gearing for a bout on March 28 at the Malvern Town Hall against Thailand’s Lookrak Kiatmungmee, as he applies for Permanent Residency in Australia.
Standing 5’3, Petalcorin is like his idol and friend Pacquiao, a southpaw. He began boxing at age twelve and turned professional in 2009 after an outstanding amateur career, having over 100 fights and being a National Champion in The Philippines.
Today in England at Wembley in the nation’s capital, Carl Froch and George Groves came face to face at a press conference to officially announce their May 31st rematch. There is, as surely everyone knows, no love lost between the two rival super-middleweights, and today the two had some harsh words for one another ahead of the fight that has, amazingly shifted 60,000 tickets after just one hour of them going on sale.
Groves, who was TKO’d in the 9th round back in November, spoke first and had more to say than Froch:
Erik N. (El Paso, TX): I thought Canelo performed very well against Angulo and I feel he’s the best at 154lbs. How did you rate his performance and what are your thoughts for him going forward?
Vivek W. (ESB): From the subplots coming into this event to the ones during the event, as well as those which have spurned in the aftermath of it, there are so many different things to consider with Canelo when you analyze the big picture. Just kind of taking things full circle, I’ll start with the pre-fight angle…..namely the weight issue.