As fight night nears, six of the top 154-pound world champions and contenders shared their thoughts and analysis of the high stakes matchups taking place Saturday, October 14 in a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.
Lomachenko-Rigondeaux sold out for Dec.9
Top-rated pound-for-pound fighters and Olympic legends VASILY “Hi-Tech” LOMACHENKO.and GUILLERMO “El Chacal” RIGONDEAUX will go mano a mano in a collision of world champions, Saturday, December 9, at the The Theater at Madison Square Garden. This historic battle will mark the first time two-time Olympic gold medalists have fought each other professionally at the highest level. Lomachenko will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight world title against the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion Rigondeaux. The fight, which will headline a spectacular all-action card, will be will be televised live and exclusively at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App.
Amir Khan-Kell Brook: The fight that won’t go away
Amir Khan-Kell Brook; or should that be the other way around? Just who is the A-side in this all-British clash, one that seemingly will not go away? Both fighters, if they’re not quite drinking at The Last Chance Saloon, are both close to entering the tavern.
Neither former champ has won a fight in a long, long time – Khan last registering a win in May of 2015, Brook last emerging victorious in March of 2016. But despite this recent run of defeat (against nothing but elite fighters it must be pointed out; with Khan losing to Canelo Alvarez and Brook coming unstuck against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence) neither man is ready to call it quits quite yet.
Groves ready for Cox fight
The word from the gym is George Groves has turned the clock back ahead of his World Boxing Super Series clash with Jamie Cox at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.
Groves also puts his WBA Super world super-middleweight title on the line in a fight screened on ITV Box Office and to prepare for his first defence, the 29 year old has been sparring unbeaten southpaw Lerrone Richards.
Richards first sparred Groves a couple of years ago – and says much has changed since then.
Errol Spence, Keith Thurman both likely to fight in January – but we need them to fight each other
It’s arguably the biggest welterweight unification fight since Curry-McCrory, and fans are desperate to see it: Keith Thurman, WBA/WBC ruler, against Errol Spence, the IBF champ.
In the opinion of some good judges, the unbeaten Spence has already proven himself as the best 147 pounder in the sport today; others need further proof. And the gifted southpaw who relieved the long-reigning Kell Brook of his IBF belt in May of this year is fully intending on providing this proof. We await Spence’s next fight, his first defence, but word is, it is likely for January; perhaps against Lamont Peterson. Thurman is set to return to the ring in January himself, having fully healed during his latest layoff.
Anthony Joshua has three-fight plan to unification, but may still have to face Luis Ortiz
It’s time for WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua to take his show on the road. So far in his exciting 19-fight pro career, AJ has boxed in the UK only, but Eddie Hearn has laid out plans for the immediate future – and after Joshua has come through okay against his IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev who he will face in Cardiff on October 28, the next fight will take place abroad.
Tramaine Williams: The Featherweight Contender You Should Know About
When you think about the top featherweight boxers in the world the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton and Gary Russell Jr spring to mind. But there is another man that the top fighters in the division should be very worried about.
The stadium is still filling up at the Mandalay Bay Hotel Events Center and neither Ward nor Kovalev have yet arrived for their much hyped rematch. The Sky Sports and HBO broadcasts have started and whilst the stadium is nearly empty, a large TV audience has tuned in to watch the up and coming fighters on the undercard. Tramaine Williams walks to the ring. The 5’4’’ featherweight contender has a spring in his step. His opponent, Christopher Martin, is older and far more experienced than Williams. Martin’s ring resume is a who’s who of the featherweight division featuring the likes of Garry Russell Jr.
Jimmy Young Vs. George Foreman: The fight that ended Foreman’s career but ultimately brought about his rebirth
Upon entering the ring in the Coliseo Roberto Clemente stadium in Puerto Rico just over 40 years ago, former heavyweight king George Foreman had Muhammad Ali on his mind; in particular he had thoughts of a rematch with the man who had shocked, stunned and beaten him three years earlier playing on his mind.
Jeff Horn to face Gary Corcoran in December
Australian Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (17-0-1) is expected to take on Londoner Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran (17-1) in the maiden defence of his WBO world welterweight title.
Promoter Bob Arum, who co-promotes Horn, has suggested that the WBO world title fight will take place at the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday 15th December, televised live on ESPN.
Anthony Joshua fires back at “David Feathers” and “Beyonce Wilder,” says these fights will happen “in time”
Anthony Joshua is not one for trash-talk, yet he could not resist coming out with a little bit of it when addressing the recent calling out he has been subjected to by both Deontay Wilder and David Haye.
Wilder, via a video the WBC heavyweight champ uploaded on social media, strongly suggests the WBA/IBF ruler is unwilling to face him. Not so says AJ, who gave both Wilder and his fellow Brit Haye both barrels.