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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Canelo-Golovkin: The Draw of the Year: Some Thoughts and a Round by Round Review

The Triple G vs. Canelo showdown dwindled into a Big Drama Draw instead of the ‘show’ expected from a “Mexican style” fighter and a Mexican proper fighter. The champion who was labeled as one of the most avoided boxers needed a defining fight to meet fans expectations.

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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 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

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

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 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

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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What’s next for Andre Ward?

Or maybe the better question is who is next for Andre Ward? Andre “S.O.G.” is in a very rare position where he is considered the “man” at his weight class. While not the biggest draw at 175 Ward is definitely considered the best fighter. With his two disputed yet valid victories over Sergey Kovalev many have wondered what is next for Ward. Many of the the top light heavyweights are ready matches up. Kovalev will be back in the ring in November. While Adonis Stevenson and Eleider Alvarez are in talks to fight one another at the end of the year. However there are some options out there to be explored.

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Boxing Hotspots around the World

Here in America we love our sports. Especially boxing. We believe our boxers are the best and that the best boxing is in the U.S. However we do accept Mexico and the U.K. as our pugilistic rivals. Although boxing is quite popular in these places there are so many other corners of the globe where the sweet science is the sport of choice. Here are just a few to chew on.

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