Jake LaMotta: Did he have the toughest chin in middleweight history?

Jake LaMotta: Did he have the toughest chin in middleweight history?

As fight fans the word over know, boxing great Jake LaMotta passed away this week at the long-lived age of 95. Tributes have been pouring in from all over, deservedly so, and most celebratory pieces written in dedication to “The Bronx Bull” go into great detail about Jake’s great chin, his unimaginably tough and durable chin.

Truly a phenomenon, LaMotta, who retired from the ring with an astonishing 83-19-4(30) record in April of 1954, outlived his famous ring rivals by a considerable amount of time. The sublime Sugar Ray Robinson has been gone for well over thirty years, Frenchman Laurent Dauthuille, against whom Jake scored that flabbergasting, come-from-behind, last 13-seconds of the 15th-round KO, passed away back in 1971. Tony Janiro, the good looking kid Jake busted up (as immortalized in the classic movie starring Robert De Niro (“well, he ain’t good looking no more”) left us in 1985. And the list goes on.

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Former Ward foe Froch on Andre’s retirement: I won’t be sad to see the back of him

Former Ward foe Froch on Andre's retirement: I won't be sad to see the back of him

It was the most frustrating, horrible night of Carl Froch’s entire boxing career, one the retired “Cobra” still has nightmares about some six years on. And it is due to the bad night Froch had against Andre Ward, along with Ward’s particular fighting style, that Froch says he will not miss the two-time champ one bit.

As fans know, 33 year old Ward shocked many people by announcing his retirement yesterday. Though he’s still very much on top of his game – scoring a very impressive stoppage over arguably the most dangerous 175 pounder on the planet, Sergey Kovalev in his most recent fight – Ward has had enough. And Froch, who says he was as shocked as everyone else was by the decision of his former foe, says he wouldn’t be too surprised if the unbeaten former champ decided to make a comeback down the road.

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Dorticos vs. Kudryashov & Parker vs. Fury Highlight Busy Boxing Weekend

Dorticos vs. Kudryashov & Parker vs. Fury Highlight Busy Boxing Weekend

The Yunier Dorticos vs. Dmitry Kudryashov & Joseph Parker vs. Hughie Fury standout in a busy boxing weekend that includes cards on ESPN, HBO, YouTube, and a variety of available (legal) streams.

Let’s begin this preview and predictions piece with another installment of the Top Rank on ESPN series. The televised tripleheader opens up with Micheal Conlan and is headlined by Oscar Valdez’s making a mandatory defense of his 126 pound WBO belt. Let’s hope the main event is at least entertaining style-wise and that Conlan puts on show. The best matchup on paper is Gilberto Ramirez (35-0) vs. Jessie Hart (22-0) in the co-feature.

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Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev on Showtime on 10/28

Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev on Showtime on 10/28

SHOWTIME Sports® will close out a banner year of world-class boxing with back-to-back Saturdays featuring heavyweight world championship fights live on SHOWTIME. The network announced today coverage of unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua’s upcoming WBA and IBF world title defense against top-rated mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev on Saturday, October 28 live on SHOWTIME from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

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Andre Ward Retires – HBO Sports Statement

Andre Ward Retires - HBO Sports Statement

“Andre Ward ends his boxing career as he only knew how to live it — as a champion at the top,” says Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “To watch Ward was to marvel at constant mastery of craft in the ring, to say nothing of his being the consummate role model outside it. The Hall of Fame will be lucky to have him.

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Freddie Roach wants Pacquiao to avenge loss to Horn then retire

Freddie Roach wants Pacquiao to avenge loss to Horn then retire

Great trainer Freddie Roach insists his most famous fighter, Manny Pacquiao, is not finished yet but concedes how the end is “close” for the all-time great. Speaking with Sky Sports, Roach revealed how he has received offers to face Terence Crawford “and some other guys,” but that the fight he wants Pac Man to take is the return with Jeff Horn.

As fans know, this rematch will not happen this year as was the original plan, with Pacquiao deciding he wants until next year to fully prepare for the return bout. Roach says this fight will likely take place next year (no word yet on whether or not Manny is still set on not going back to Australia, the scene of the first fight, back in July) and that he would like to see Pacquiao call it a day afterwards.

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Mikey Garcia says he’d move up to 154 to face Miguel Cotto in December

Mikey Garcia says he'd move up to 154 to face Miguel Cotto in December

Miguel Cotto has made two things clear: he will not fight beyond December of this year, his retirement plans being absolutely final, and he wants to go out with, as he says it, “a bang.” The target the Puerto Rican great had in mind before last Saturday night was the winner between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.

As we all know there was no winner at the conclusion of the most heavily hyped middleweight showdown in years, so Cotto seems to be out of luck with regards to his facing either warrior (who are almost certain to box a rematch, perhaps next May.) But Cotto has just been given another very interesting retirement fight possibility courtesy of lightweight ruler Mikey Garcia.

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Deontay Wilder “promises” to unify heavyweight titles; predicts KO win over Luis Ortiz

Deontay Wilder “promises” to unify heavyweight titles; predicts KO win over Luis Ortiz

Deontay Wilder Vs. Luis Ortiz was officially announced yesterday in New York, silencing those remaining cynics who felt the fight was nothing more than talk and way too big a risk for Wilder. Now, as the WBC heavyweight champ said to the media, we can look forward to “one of the best heavyweight fights in a long time.”

Wilder, unbeaten at 38-0(37) will be taking the biggest risk of his entire career against Cuban southpaw Ortiz, unbeaten at 27-0(23) yet he says knocking Ortiz out will be the start of his campaign to unify the division.

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Ramirez vs. Hart, Valdez vs. Servania, Arum Interviews

Ramirez vs. Hart, Valdez vs. Servania, Arum Interviews

Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) world champions ÓSCAR VALDEZ and GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ will headline and exciting world championship event This Friday! September 22, at Tucson Arena (260 South Church Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701.) Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), a two-time Mexican Olympian with strong roots in Tucson, will be defending his WBO featherweight title against the WBO’s No. 4 world-rated contender GENESIS SERVANIA (29-0, 12 KOs), of Bacolod City, Philippines. WBO super middleweight champion Ramirez (35-0, 24 KOs), from Mazatlan Mexico, will take on No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger JESSE “Hard Work” HART (22-0, 18 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA, in the grudge match of the year. The four warriors boast a perfect combined record of 108-0 (73 KOs) with nearly 70% of their victories coming by way of knockout. Here is what they had to say at today’s media workout:

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