Photo: Tom Hogan / GBP – There isn’t long to go now until the most intriguing and potentially exciting fight of the year goes ahead: Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (a fighter now known merely by his nickname, perhaps more so than any other fighter in recent boxing history) against British star Amir Khan (who really will live up to his “King” nickname if he can cause the upset in Las Vegas). The fight this Saturday, which will play out over Cinco de Mayo weekend, has split fight fans right down the middle: with half saying the fight is a good one, between two top class fighters, and the other half saying the fight is a joke, between a man who has no right fighting for the middleweight crown (Khan) and a man who should be picking on someone his own size (Canelo).
Month: May 2016
Floyd Mayweather Junior talks possible comeback: “It would have to be a nine-figure payday and probably a championship fight”
One of the old sayings in boxing is, “they all come back,” and, Rocky Marciano, Gene Tunney, Lennox Lewis and a few more exceptions aside, yes, they all do. And the latest fighter being constantly asked if he will lace ‘em up one more time, and who admits how he is thinking about it, is superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior. As fans know, Mayweather has been retired all of eight months, yet his name is seemingly always in the news; with the most interesting topic being, will he or won’t he fight again?
Badou Jack and James DeGale Unification Bout Still In Tact Despite Controversy in DC
By Justin Jones – Washington, DC — Current Super Middleweight titleholders James DeGale, IBF Champ,(23-1, 14 KOs)and Badou Jack, WBC Champ,(20-1-2, 12 KOs)can now shift their focus on each other –late summer or early fall showdown – after neither fighter relinquished their belts last night at the DC Armory.
DeGale and Jack were the favorites going into their semifinal matchups of the Showtime-proclaimed 4-man 168-pound tournament, but neither fighter had an easy go at it. DeGale earned the unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 115-113)over a very game Rogelio Medina (36-7, 30 KOs), who pushed DeGale to the limit. Some ringside and many of the 4,135 people in attendance (booing loudly) thought the score of 115-113 was a more just score and more aligned with how the fight actually played out. Even DeGale was critical of his performance post-fight.
Andre Berto conquers Victor Ortiz in rematch
(Photo Credit: Suzanne Teresa/Premier Boxing Champions) Carson, CA (April 30, 2016) – In front a packed house of 7,760 and a nationally televised PBC on FOX and FOX Deportes audience, Andre Berto, (31-4, 24 KOs) turned back the clock and successfully gained his revenge over “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, 31-6-2 (24 KOs) with a stunning fourth-round knockout in a rematch of their 2011 “Fight of the Year” on Saturday night at Southern California’s legendary open-air boxing venue StubHub Center.
James DeGale beats Medina
James DeGale defended his IBF Super Middleweight World Championship with a close, hard-fought unanimous decision against Rogelio Medina in the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.
DeGale was supremely accurate, landing 51 percent of his power punches compared to just 23 for Medina, including a staggering 66 percent of his power punches. The switch-hitting southpaw attacked from unorthodox angles, and was most effective when he snuck in a right uppercut to back up Medina. But the British titlist – a record 12th from Great Britain – failed to utilize his jab and was not able to deliver on his prediction of a knockout inside of six rounds.
Jack fights to draw against Bute
Badou Jack retained his WBC Super Middleweight title in a controversial draw against Lucian Bute Saturday on SHOWTIME, setting up a fall unification with IBF champion James DeGale, who defended his IBF crown against Rogelio Medina in the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast from the DC Armory.
“Let’s unify the decision and see who the best is,” DeGale said to Jack in a post-fight interview moderated by SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray.