Much has been made of Tyson Fury since it was announced that he would realise his dream of challenging Wladimir Klitschko for the right to call himself undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Month: November 2015
‘Froch Exposed Bute, I’ll Finish the Job’ says James DeGale
IBF super-middleweight champion, James DeGale, says he will stop Lucian Bute in front of the challenger’s home fans in Quebec on Saturday night, warning the Canadian that he is out to ‘finish the job’ after Carl Froch previously exposed him in 2012.
Arum: ‘Waiting on Pacquiao’ / Wants Crawford Over Khan
Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum, has stated he is hopeful that Manny Pacquiao will select fellow Top Rank star, Terence Crawford as the opponent for the Filipino’s career swansong in April 2016, rather than Britain’s Amir Khan.
Both Crawford and Khan are said to still be in the frame, as Arum says the decision is solely Pacquiao’s to make, though when you consider the obvious financial benefits to the TR boss of making an in-house fight with Crawford over one with Khan – who is advised by Al Haymon and has his own promotional company – it’s pretty clear to see who is most likely getting the call.
Klitschko v. Fury: The Old Model Still Beats The New One – Weights: Klitschko 245.3 lbs., Fury 246.4 lbs.
On Saturday, November 28, WBA WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko (64-0-3, 53 KOs) faces challenger Tyson Fury (24-0-0, 18 knockouts) in the ESPRIT arena, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, for the heavyweight championship title. For veteran and betting favorite Wladimir Klitschko, the 6’6”, .245 lb. thirty-nine year old Ukrainian born in Kazakhstan (currently married to American actress Hayden Panettiere), a win in this bout means his twenty-fourth successful title defense (including his initial reign as a WBO champion), second only behind Joe Louis (twenty-five successful title defenses) and ahead of Larry Holmes (twenty) and Muhammad Ali (nineteen). Dr. Steelhammer is tied with Joe Louis as for most heavyweight title fights ever (twenty-seven).
Quillin: ‘Here to Win’ Against Daniel Jacobs
Former WBO middleweight champion, Peter Quillin (32-0-1, 23ko), says he is nothing but confident ahead of his challenge to 2nd tier WBA 160 lb champion, Daniel Jacobs in New York in 8 days time, and believes he will emerge the victor of their ‘Battle of Brooklyn.’
The two Al Haymon advised fighters go into their clash with the shadow of WBA (sup) champion, Gennady Golovkin, looming large over them, given he is the ‘true’ WBA belt holder at 160, and is ostensibly not on the radar of either fighter, despite the mandatory status Jacobs currently holds to GGG as a 2nd tier [WBA] titlist.
Klitschko: ‘My Self-Belief is Too Much for Fury’
https://youtu.be/bYFT7v8jNjE
WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, has weighed in [245.3 lbs] ahead of tomorrow night’s title defence against British challenger, Tyson Fury [246.4 lbs], insisting that not only is he in fantastic physical shape as always, mentally is where his real strength continues to lie.
The dominant Ukrainian is facing questions from some quarters as to how long he can continue at the very top level, especially now that he is pushing 40 years old and – for some – showed small signs of decline in April’s clash with American, Bryant Jennings.
‘Rios Back in the Gym Already & Will Fight Again!’ says Robert Garcia
Despite his very public ‘retirement’ from boxing earlier this month, Brandon Rios will be back according to trainer, Robert Garcia, who has said ‘Bam Bam’s’ decision to quit the sport ‘only lasted a week.’
Rios was comprehensively beaten by WBO 147 champ, Tim Bradley, in Las Vegas at the start of the month, getting stopped in 9 rounds after a sluggish and unconvincing performance that left many fans believing retirement was definitely the right option for the Oxnard-based brawler.
Andre Ward: ‘Golovkin Won’t Fight Me … Period’
Former WBA (sup) 168 lb champion, Andre Ward, has warned any fans still clinging to the prospect of a fight between him and dominant middleweight champion, Gennady Golovkin, to forget about it, and that his proposed eventual meeting with 175 lb champion, Sergey Kovalev, will present the far tougher challenge in any case.
Ward, set for an official debut at 175 lbs as the first of a three-fight deal with HBO that will culminate in a fight with the Russian ‘Krusher’ next Autumn/Fall, is likely to debut at his new weight in February after pulling out of the recent Cotto/Canelo card through injury.
Lucian Bute: ‘The Pressure Is All on DeGale’
Former super-middleweight world champion, Lucian Bute, claims he is more than focused on his bid to reclaim his old title, meeting current IBF 168 lb belt holder, James DeGale on Saturday night in Quebec, and warning that the pressure is all on the Londoner.
DeGale is travelling to Bute’s Quebec backyard for the maiden defence of his title; his second fight in North America, having won his title in the US back in May against Andre Dirrell.
‘Fury’s Chances are 1/20 Against Klitschko’ says David Haye
Former WBA heavyweight champion, David Haye, has predicted that Tyson Fury’s chances of dethroning Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday night are 1/20 at best, and that the gulf in class will be painfully apparent after the first bell sounds in Dusseldorf’s Esprit Arena.
Haye – who famously lost a wide points decision to Klitschko in 2011, and twice pulled out of fighting Fury, citing injury – is set for a ring return in January after 3 1/2 years out of action, and claims to be targeting the top once again under new trainer, Shane McGuigan, meaning an eventual fight with Fury could be on the cards should the Mancunian pull off the win on Saturday.