It seems a long time since we were last treated to a memorable slice of world heavyweight title fight action, but at last we are heading towards not one but two potential thrillers: Deontay Wilder against Luis Ortiz on March 3, and Anthony Joshua against Joseph Parker on March 31.
Both fights are big – AJ Vs. Parker being a three-belt unification clash – and both WBC champ Wilder and WBA/IBF champ Joshua are predicting KO wins. But who has the tougher, riskier assignment: Joshua or Wilder?
According to Tom Loeffler, promoter of world middleweight king Genandy Golovkin, Billy Joe Saunders will get his wish this year: that of being able to climb into a ring with GGG in a four-belt unification showdown. Should Triple-G defeat Canelo in their eagerly awaited rematch set for May 5 (still no venue officially named), he will then fight the British southpaw who holds the WBO belt.
As expected, WBC super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (33-1, 29 KOs) made easy work of replacement opponent Maxwell Awuku (44-4-1, 30 KOs) in stopping him in the 3rd round on Saturday night at the Oasis Arena in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Top Rank Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is always looking to produce the next mega-fight, letting the idea of two stars going at each other build and build (or marinate, as Arum might say). One massive clash of unbeaten stars Arum has an eye on for the coming future, in a year or so, is a welterweight showdown between Errol Spence and Terence Crawford.
Now that he’s officially retired from the sport (for now at least) the tributes are coming in for all-time great Roy Jones Junior – and deservedly so. One of the former multi-weight champ’s most lauded wins is his 2003 decision win over John Ruiz up at heavyweight; this Jones masterpiece seeing him crowned as a heavyweight champion.
On Saturday night, a highly-anticipated battle between a former world champion and a world title challenger headlines a big night of boxing in the Championship City of Philadelphia, as Hard Hitting Promotions partners with Facebook FIGHTNIGHT LIVE to showcase a card featuring a number of undefeated fighters and rising area prospects. Fight fans from across the globe can catch names like Lundy, Corley, Webster, Cuevas, Rahman and Baumgardner beginning at 7 p.m. live from South Philly on any device wherever Facebook is available, as the easy-to-access combat sports platform delivers its second show of the New Year.
Just days after the birth of his daughter, American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder met with members of the Southern California media on Thursday as he prepares to defend his WBC Heavyweight World Championship against fellow-undefeated challenger Luis Ortiz Saturday, March 3 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.
In the words of Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson was “a baaad man!” Way ahead of his time and having to fight rabid racism along with his opponents, “The Galveston Giant” was strong enough, mentally and physically, to be able to overcome odds that would seem unfathomable to a modern day fighter.
Superstar and all time great Roy Jones Junior gave his hometown fans something to cheer about last night in Pensacola. The 49 year old living legend, taking part in what was dubbed his final fight, won a wide ten-round UD over a game but outclassed Scott Sigmon.
After ten rounds of fan pleasing cruiserweight action, Jones walked away with a clear-cut win via three scores of 98-92. Jones, if he has indeed boxed his last fight, exits the sport he helped make great with a 66-9(47) record. 30 year old Sigmon falls to 30-12-1(16).
Even the cerebral Sugar Ray Leonard never knew when to quit. The toughest thing in the toughest sport of all, boxing, is being able to walk away; knowing when enough is enough. Time and again, great and special fighters fought that one fight too many. It was going to be different with Ray Charles Leonard, though – Sugar Ray was smart, very smart.