The year 2015 is starting off with a bang- not neccessarily in the ring, but definitely outside of it. The pieces on the chess board are moving into place and when the smoke clears, we will (maybe) have a better picture of the boxing landscape.
Andre Ward
Andre Ward’s frustrating court battle with Goossen Tutor apparently has come to an end. Jay Z’s Roc Nation announced the signing of Andre Ward during their initial boxing card last night in Madison Square Garden’s theatre.
What it Means
It’s close, very close. According to various recent reports, the fight venue as well as the drug testing issue has been ironed out and agreed upon. As always, the last and most important piece is the finances, which is likely the only thing keeping the signatures off the contract for now.
The fight, if comes to fruition, will take place at MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The possible date has not yet been declared, but if not the most likely and Floyd’s favorite month of May, I would strongly assume that June would be the month to host the biggest boxing match in recent history.
Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) feels there’s no need in him moving up to the light heavyweight division to get big fights in that weight class. Ward, 30, feels that there’s no need in him moving up to the 175 pound division until he physically grows into that division.
Right now, Ward still sees him as a super middleweight despite the fact there are questions whether he’ll be able to make the weight given his long year and a half layoff from the ring.
Ward signed with Roc Nations Sports last Friday after breaking free from his previous promoter Goosen Promotions, who Ward had been in litigation with for the last year.
The mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao could get done in the next week to week and a half, according to an inside source that spoke to LA Times writer Lance Pugmire on Friday. The blood testing and venue have both been agreed on, and now the only thing that’s left to iron out is the purse split for the fight.
We’re making progress,” the source told Pugmire at Latimes.com.
The purse split is the tricky part. Pacquiao is said to be okay with getting a 60-40 deal with Mayweather getting the lion’s share, but it’s unclear whether that’s a good enough deal for Mayweather to agree to.
In the first card for 2015 on ESPN Friday Night Fights, WBA interim lightweight belt holder Darleys Perez (32-1, 20 kos) retained against number 6 contender Jonathan Maicelo (21-2, 12 kos) with a convincing unanimous decision at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.
Columbian Perez was a class above his fellow 31 year old foe over the final half of the fight and punctuated a dominating performance with big rounds in eleven and twelve.
Peru’s Maicelo was competitive during the opening four rounds with his unorthodox movement and wide punches but once Perez established his led left hand he was able to control the action from center ring.
Undefeated prospect Ivan Redkach (18-0, 14 KOs) was impressive in a sixth-round knockout victory over Yakubu Amidu (19-6-2, 17 KOs), who failed to get off his stool following the sixth round in Friday’s main event of ShoBox: The New Generation from Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, Calif.
Working for the first time with new trainer Robert Garcia, Redkach, of Los Angeles by way of Ukraine, started out slow as he found his range, with the durable Amidu handling his power in the opening rounds. Amidu, of Los Angeles by way of Ghana, started slow but picked up the pace in the fourth and then was docked a point by referee Ray Corona for repeated low blows in the fifth.
Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is feeling pretty good about the negotiations that are taking place between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, Roach notes that there’s still a long ways to go before the fight gets made. Roach doesn’t know what’s going on specifically with the negotiations but he’s hearing positive stuff.
According to the LA Times, the blood testing and venue have both been agreed on. The thing that still remains incomplete is the purse split. 60-40 is one number that’s been mentioned.
After a protracted legal battle with Goosen Promotions, WBA Super World middleweight champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports on Friday, which reportedly ends his deal with Goosen Promotions. This means that the soon to be 31-year-old Ward should get a lot busier in terms of fighting on a more regular basis.
Ward’s fought only fought twice in the last three years, and he didn’t fight at all in 2014.
“It’s official!! #NextChapter Happy to be a part of the @rocnation family,” Ward said on his twitter today.
IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs) appears to be having second thoughts about him walking away from the game in 2015. He’s been talking about retirement since the Lucian Bute fight in 2012, but in the last two years the talk has increased to the point where many boxing fans believed that he would retire after a proposed farewell fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr this year.
Froch now feels like he can continue fighting, and he’s talking about the Chavez Jr and even showing sudden interest in a possible James DeGale fight.
“One man has the hype, the other the belt. But you need both to make heavyweight history.” – ALL ACCESS: STIVERNE VS WILDER premieres tonight, Friday, Jan. 9 at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT during SHOWTIME® Free Preview Weekend and immediately preceding the first SHOBOX: The New Generation of 2015 (Redkach vs. Amidu, 11 p.m. ET/PT; live on SHOWTIME).
Take a peek behind the scenes of Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder’s training camps in advance of their WBC Heavyweight World Championship showdown. Get into the action with this full episode of ALL ACCESS, and don’t miss the United States’ most anticipated heavyweight battle in a decade on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT; live on SHOWTIME.”