Has there ever been a more cerebral fighter than the legendary Archie Moore? One of the finest light-heavyweights in the sport’s long history, Moore, a master at placing a punch – hence his astonishing number of KO wins – used his brains as much as he used his physical prowess.
Smarter than his ring rivals, most of them anyway, Moore enjoyed a long, long career – during which he gave his sport some unforgettable moments.
Former world champion Anthony Dirrell (31-1-1, 24 KOs) had a successful return to the ring in his hometown as he won a technical decision over Denis Douglin (19-6, 12 KOs) in the main event of a special Friday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from Dort Federal Credit Union Center in Flint, Michigan. “I wanted to pressure him and test myself,” said Dirrell. “He was wearing down and then the head butt came. I told the doctor that my vision was blurry and he decided not to let me continue.”
Now that Andre Ward, the only man to have beaten him at pro level, is out of the way, Russia’s Sergey Kovalev is on a mission to get all his belts back – “Krusher” of course losing his WBA/WBO/IBF light-heavyweight titles to the now-retired Ward last year.(Photo credit Craig Bennett/Main Event)
Kovalev, who says he has very much cleaned up his act (no more beer, two a day being his intake according to a recent interview Kovalev gave with fighthype) as well as getting himself a new trainer, faces Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO belt he lost to Ward. This fight goes down next Saturday (November 25) and Kovalev is favorite to win – but it will prove much tougher getting the three other recognized belts around his waist.
The heavyweight division has started to become interesting again. And there are three heavyweights in particular that have a lot of fans talking. We have unified IBF/WBA world champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs). Then we have WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs). And off the radar, but perhaps back in the picture, we have the man who ended Wladimir Klitschko’s long streak of dominance, Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs).
Eddie Hearn and his prized-possession Anthony Joshua have taken the world by storm the last two years. Matchroom Sports flagship fighter has created a buzz never seen before in the United Kingdom by packing over 168,000 fans into stadium events in 2017 alone. Joshua’s epic-mash-up with former heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko put him over the top.
Anthony has all the necessary ingredients from the GQ-model looks to his chiseled-frame wrapped up in a humble personality. Did I mention the boy who grew up some 10 minutes away from Wembley Stadium now as a full-grown adult has real skills and a huge heart? Those attributes were on full display as Joshua caught his second breath able to rise to the occasion as many legendary pugilists have in the past. The total package nearly derailed last April between rounds 6 and 8. Joshua was dead tired having exuded too much energy in the 5th trying to end the fight and celebrating too early.
Sullivan Barrera – “Camp has been great. It continues to get better with my new coach, Derik Santos. Every camp we work on different things. I am enjoying camp because I am learning a lot from him and we mix well. Nov 25 expect a great performance from me!”
“The door is wide open for everyone in the light heavyweight division. There are a lot of great fights to be made and I’m just looking to continue being in the mix with all the great fighters we have in our division.”
Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) believes David Haye (28-3, 26 KOs) will come in at the lightest weight in many years when the two face each other in one month from now on December 17 at the O2 Arena in London, UK.
WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder has always insisted he would defeat Anthony Joshua, the reigning WBA and IBF champion, should they do as we all want them to, and meet in a super-fight showdown. But now, “The Bronze Bomber” has gone further: stating how he will not only defeat Joshua, 20-0(20) but that he will “end” his career.
HBO Sports, with a 44-year tradition in professional boxing, takes a deep dive into the career of sure-fire Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto, the most accomplished and decorated fighter in Puerto Rican history, as he prepares to make one last ring appearance next month against former U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali when MIGUEL COTTO: A RETROSPECTIVE debuts SATURDAY, NOV. 25 at 12:45 p.m. ET/PT immediately following the live HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader telecast from New York.
Former welterweight champion Jessie Vargas returns to the ring to take on hard-hitting veteran Aaron Herrera in the 10-round main event of a special Friday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes December 15 from Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California with televised coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.