Back in September of 2013, when he was an undefeated fighter, some people were willing to give Mexican superstar Saul Alvarez a shot at becoming the first man to defeat global superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior. Instead, Canelo was comprehensively outboxed, to the point where a few experts said it looked as though the demoralised fighter was even thinking about pulling a “no mas” and quitting.
Carlos Cuadras and Jesus Soto Karass quotes
Undefeated WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos “Principe” Cuadras, (35-0, 27KO’s) and all-action, former world title challenger Jesus “Renuente” Soto Karass, (28-10-4, 18KO’s), appeared at the Maywood Boxing Gym to host the Los Angeles media on Thursday. They were joined by their trainers, Rudy Hernandez and Jose Luis Sorroza, respectively, and Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.
On Saturday, September 10 at The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles, Cuadras will defend his title against #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, (45-0-0, 38KO’s).
Weights: Miller 296 ½, Kassi 237 ¼
The eight fighters who’ll be fighting on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Aug. 19, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT) at Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., all made weight Thursday.
Undefeated Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (17-0-1, 15 KOs) faces his toughest test to date in veteran Fred Kassi (18-5-1, 10 KOs) in the main event, which will take place at the outdoor USL soccer venue here. The co-main event features promising Louisiana lightweight “Rock Hard Mighty” Mason Menard (31-1, 23 KOs) facing his most dangerous foe to date in Bahodir “Baha” Mamadjonov (18-2, 11 KOs) of Houston, Texas, by way of Uzbekistan in a 10-round battle for the WBO NABO Lightweight title.
So who will televise Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas?
Manny Pacquiao’s November 5 comeback fight with reigning WBO welterweight champ Jessie Vargas, while a solid fight, has not caught fire with the majority of fight fans. Pac-Man, who will end the retirement from boxing he announced after his rubber-match win over Tim Bradley in April, is a fighter fans will always want to watch, but it was hoped he would face a bigger, more marquee name than Vargas in his return – Terence Crawford for example (a match-up that could still happen next year some time).
HBO, who televised many of Pac-Man’s greatest hits, will not be showing the November return bout, and promoter Bob Arum now has the job of finding a network that will carry the fight. Currently in The Philippines, Arum told RingTV.com that as soon as he returns to the states he will be working on finding the fight he himself says will be a great fight a home. It’s possible, Arum said, that the fight could end up being televised by either Showtime (HBO’s major rival of course), ESPN or a Turner network. It’s unclear how many fans will be eager to tune into the fight wherever it is shown.
Leonard Bundu: I’ll be victorious over Spence
Undefeated rising star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and once-beaten contender Leonard “The Lion” Bundu went face-to-face for the first time Thursday before they meet in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on NBC this Sunday, August 21 from Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn.
Televised coverage of the welterweight world title eliminator begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. PBC on NBCSN begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting featherweight Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero taking on undefeated Derrick Murray plus unbeaten rivals Heather “The Heat” Hardy and Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent in a featherweight matchup.
Abel Sanchez says GGG will KO Brook within five-rounds, says he has never worked with a fighter possessing as much power as Golovkin
When they share the ring in London on September 10, will challenger Kell Brook take the action right to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, or will the welterweight who has bulked up to 160-pounds look to stick and move in the hopes of sticking around and taking the unbeaten puncher into the later rounds? This is what fans are debating, with some predicting a quick GGG stoppage win over a willing Brook, and others predicting how Brook will run and look to survive.
One man whose opinion matters is Triple-G’s trainer Abel Sanchez and he stated at the LA press conference that he feels Brook will come to have a fight, “to show he’s a man.” Speaking further with Sky Sports News, Sanchez marvelled over his fighter’s incredible punching power – power he says will see his man to victory “in five rounds at the most.”
Gabriel Rosado vs. Willie Monroe Jr added to Canelo-Smith card
As fans from around the world get ready to descend on the home of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the world championship showdown between former two-division world champion and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and current WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion, Liam “Beefy” Smith (23-0-1,13 KOs), Golden Boy Promotions today announced the Saturday, September 17 event will also feature three non-stop action fights as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Hailed as one of the most entertaining fighters in boxing, former world title challenger and blood-and-guts contender, “King” Gabriel Rosado (23-9, 13 KOs, 1 NC) of Philadelphia, will attempt to re-establish himself as one of the top fighters in the middleweight division when he faces former world title challenger Willie “El Mongoose” Monroe, Jr. (20-2, 6 KOs) of Rochester, N.Y. in a 12-round, middleweight bout as the co-main event to Canelo vs. Smith. The sure-fire action fight features two of boxing’s most resilient fighters who have taken on the top fighters in the division on their rise to stardom, garnering praise and respect from boxing fans. With a final run up the middleweight ladder at stake for the winner, this 50/50 fight will feature non-stop action and two warriors desperate for a win.
Lebedev vs Gassiev: Shumenov wants Lebedev fight
Team Shumenov believes it is worth reviewing recent history en light of the recent announcement that World Boxing Association Super/IBF cruiserweight world champion Denis Lebedev will defend against Murat Gassiev in late November or early December in Russia: A condition for allowing Lebedev to fight International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Victor Emilio Ramirez on May 21, 2016 was that Lebedev had to fight WBA cruiserweight world champion Beibut Shumenov within 120 days.
What if: George Chuvalo-Henry Cooper? Chuvalo gives his take
A British heavyweight legend and a Canadian heavyweight great: Sir Henry Cooper (RIP) and George Chuvalo; two heavyweights who both added considerably to their respective careers by twice facing “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali. But they never fought each other, even though it could easily have happened – really should have happened – in the 1960s. Cooper was the reigning Commonwealth heavyweight champion throughout much of that decade (and before that, in the late ‘50s, as well as into the early 1970s) and during this era there was a dangerous and hungry Chuvalo, eager to get his shot.
Adrien Broner released from jail, possibility he may fight in October
Former champ Adrien Broner was today released from prison having served his 30-day sentence, the one he got for turning up in court either drunk or hung-over; his trial for alleged assault and robbery set to begin. Now a free man again (for now, at least) “The Problem” is of course expected to do what he does best aside from get into trouble – fight. Broner remains a big name, a fighter who can attract fans with his bad guy, or man you love to hate image, and there could be big fights out there for him still.
RingTV.com spoke briefly with Broner’s trainer Mike Stafford, and he said that while it’s obviously way too early to have anything approaching set yet, there is a chance the four-weight titlist could box as soon as October – against a “Ricky Burns type” of opponent. This doesn’t mean it will be Burns next for Broner, but the Scottish hero, who recently rejuvenated his own career by winning another major belt, was supposed to fight Broner a while back and this fight still has a decent look to it. Burns enjoyed boxing in the U.S when he gave Omar Figueroa a great battle in Texas last May, and he would possibly look at returning to America to finally get it on with Broner.