James Toney: Has “Lights Out” hit the switch for the final time?

07/26/2016 James Slater

“He didn’t pay his electric bill, so his lights must go out,” James Toney ahead of his 2003 clash with Evander Holyfield.

Some fighters, be they greats or mere club fighters, never make an official retirement announcement. Instead, usually after a loss, they just fade away quietly; fans only realising they haven’t seen them in the ring for quite some time before wondering where their one-time hero is now. It looks as though it might be this way for one of the greatest defensive fighters in history, a man who, in his own words, “kicked some ass all the way from middleweight up to heavyweight.”

The fighter in question is James Toney and although it could be wishful thinking speaking about how Toney, aged 47 (48 next month) and an astonishing 89 bouts into a career that began in 1988, might have called it a day – after all, Toney could remerge with yet another return fight at any time – things have been quiet lately.

Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry: “Joshua is talking to other camps at the moment”

07/26/2016 James Slater

Unbeaten Joseph Parker’s team feel the fight the New Zealander is mandated to have, against reigning IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, will almost certainly come next year, not this year. Speaking to the media in New Zealand, Team-Parker announced an October 1st date with experienced fringe contender Alexander Dimitrenko and it was also announced how Parker, unbeaten at 20-0, will then almost certainly have another fight after that; while waiting for the shot at Joshua.

“All we know is [Anthony] Joshua is talking to other camps at the moment,” Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry said as reported by stuff.co.nz. “He’s definitely not talking to us. The fact we’re taking this fight on October 1st, there is a pretty fair assumption we’re not fighting Joshua in November. After this fight there’s every indication that, everything going well, we’ll fight another tall guy later in the year.”

Roman Gonzalez – Carlos “Principe” Cuadras quotes

07/26/2016 Golden Boy Promotions

(Photo credit: Chris Farina/K2 Promotions) LOS ANGELES (July 26, 2016) – A huge contingent of Los Angeles sports media turned out yesterday at the Fabulous Forum for the kick-off press conference to the world class professional boxing event on Saturday, September 10, headlined by the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship between Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and WBC Flyweight World Champion, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (45-0, 38KO’s) and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos “Principe” Cuadras, (35-0-1, 27KO’s).

Gonzalez will be moving up in weight to challenge for another world title in his fourth weight division. The two undefeated combatants have an extraordinary combined record of 80-0-1 with 65 knockouts.

Ward vs. Brand undercard info

08/01/201607/26/2016 Roc Nation Sports

NEW YORK, NY (July 26, 2016) – Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, August 6, to continue his conquest of the light heavyweight division when he takes on power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The event, which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT, will now include six bouts of non-televised action for ticketed fans to enjoy before the main showdown.

Two fights planned for David Price, Eric Molina at the end of the year

07/26/2016 James Slater

Promoter Kalle Sauerland has big plans for his heavyweight, former British champion David Price. Price, who put a terrible spell behind him in returning to winning ways at the end of May, could even be close to being in line for a shot at IBF heavyweight boss Anthony Joshua. Sauerland told Sky Sports his plan is for Price – beaten only by Tony Thompson and Erkan Teper, who both failed post-fight drugs tests – to box on the upcoming October show in Liverpool topped by Tony Bellew and then in November on the card of the expected Joshua voluntary defence.

Sauerland says Price will be matched with a “decent” opponent in October and will then likely face Mexican/American Eric Molina in November.

Eleider Alvarez fights Robert Berridge this Friday

07/25/2016 Premier Boxing

QUEBEC CITY (July 25, 2016) – Unbeaten contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (19-0, 10 KOs) will take on hard-hitting Robert “The Butcher” Berridge (27-4-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round showdown Friday, July 29 on Premier Boxing Champions on Spike from Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.

Berridge replaces former world champion Chad Dawson, who was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.

Mayweather should fight Golovkin

08/18/201607/25/2016 Robert Jackson

This is not an article criticizing or slamming Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd’s 20 years in the professional ring speak for themselves!

Understandably when you hear rumors of Floyd’s return and the $100M plus payday he’s expecting for his 50th fight without a loss, as a fight fan you want to pay for a fight where Floyd faces a formidable foe.

Floyd’s not going to get $100M for Keith “One Time” Thurman, Adrien “The Problem” Broner, “Showtime” Shawn Porter or IBF welterweight champion Kell “Special K” Brook. Nobody wants to see him in a rematch against Manny “Paccman” Pacquiao.

Luis Ortiz: STILL the heavyweight seemingly nobody wants to fight

07/25/2016 James Slater

Just how good is unbeaten Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz? We don’t know, and why? – because the hard-hitting and skilled southpaw just cannot seem to get himself a fight. This far in his pro career, the reigning WBA titlist has looked good, maybe even very good; and he could perhaps have the stuff inside him needed to become a great. But the clock is ticking on the man who is on the wrong side of 35 and the big, testing fights continue to elude him.

Next up for Ortiz, supposedly, is (or was) a mandatory defence against Alexander Ustinov. This fight has been in the works for months now (it seems longer) and the last we heard was the fight would likely go ahead on the under-card of the Canelo-Smith card of September 17th. However, according to Eric Gomez of Golden Boy, who spoke with RingTV.com, the ongoing talks have “hit a snag.” The fight, part of the WBA’s tournament to crown just one fighter as the organisation’s heavyweight ruler, has to happen, but Gomez says it’s not looking good.

Roy Harris, The Pride Of Cut And Shoot, Texas

08/01/201607/25/2016 Mike Dunn

It is unfortunate that some fighters are remembered more for the fight or fights they lost than for any of the positive accomplishments they had in the ring.

Randall “Tex” Cobb won 43 fights out of 52 and had 36 knockouts to his credit. Not a bad record. But what is he remembered for? His lopsided decision defeat at the hands of heavyweight champion Larry Holmes in November of 1982. He knocked out Earnie Shavers and lost split decisions to Ken Norton and Michael Dokes. But those performances don’t enter into the equation most of the time when people think of Cobb.

Andre Ward takes on Alexander Brand on 8/6

07/25/2016 BoxNation

LONDON (July 25) – Pound-for-pound star Andre Ward will face power-punching Columbian Alexander Brand exclusively live on BoxNation on Saturday August 6th.

The fight, taking place in Ward’s hometown of Oakland, California at the Oracle Arena comes hot on the heels of rival Sergey Kovalev’s unanimous points victory over Isaac Chilemba, which was also screened exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’.