What Joe Smith, Jr. (23-2-0, 19KO) failed to remember in his bout with Sullivan Barrera (20-1, 14KO) at the Forum in Inglewood, CA was something punchers should never forget. Great knockout artists like Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano never forgot it, and in a big way it was responsible for their greatness. It was something that would lay the foundation for them, something a construction worker like Joe, of all people, should know.
Hammerin Hank is back and wants Garcia, Flanagan or Easter
“Hammerin Hank is back at 135 and he’s stronger than ever” says an animated Hank Lundy. When the man from Philadelphia is pressed for his future ambitions, there is only one goal, a lightweight world title.
It was in an encounter with the high school bully, when an uppercut left the other guy asleep, that Hank first realized that he could fight. Soon enough, his uncle had him down the boxing gym. And so Lundy embarked on what proved to be a successful amateur career. Highlights included a silver medal at the 2005 national golden gloves and representing the United States at the Pan-Am championships.
Shawn Porter calls out “The Cherry Picker,” Danny Garcia – “Let’s get it on!”
Former IBF welterweight king Shawn Porter has released a short but very colourful and amusing video on his twitter page. Wearing a leather jacket without a shirt, dark shades and a cowboy hat, Porter goes into his very best Mr T impression as he calls out former WBC welterweight champ Danny Garcia.
“I’ve only just heard that the WBC would like Showtime Shawn Porter to fight another title eliminator, and they want me to fight none other than the cherry picker himself – Danny Garcia,” Porter says as he stares down the camera. “What I say to you, Danny Garcia – let’s get it on. Oh yeah!”
Asamoah Gyan tips Tagoe to beat Mendez August 26
Ghana’s Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe (27-1, 13 KOs) will make mincemeat of former IBF super featherweight champion, Argenis Mendez (24-5-1, 12 KOs) of the Dominican Republic when the duo clash in Accra for Tagoe’s IBO Lightweight world title on August 26, according to Asamoah Gyan, manager and promoter of the Ghanaian boxer.
Gyan, more famous as captain of Ghana’s national soccer team, was at the Seconds Out gym in the Ghanaian capital on Monday afternoon to watch his prodigy train in preparation for the fight against Mendez.
Broner’s trainer: One more round and we would have KO’d Maidana; AB has never lost at 140
We don’t have too long to wait until the hugely interesting Mikey Garcia-Adrien Broner fight (July 29) and understandably Broner’s trainer Mike Stafford is talking a great, great fight going in. Speaking with RingTV.com, AB’s coach said that all the negative stuff aimed at his fighter from the writers and the fans is unjustified and that as Broner, 33-2(24) has “never lost to a Mexican,” and has “never lost at 140,” his chances of beating the unbeaten Garcia should in no way be marginalised.
Can the Saunders-Monroe Junior winner topple the GGG-Canelo victor?
The undisputed middleweight championship of the world. This is the lofty title that one fighter may lay claim to before the end of 2017, or in the early stages of 2018.
Not too long ago, unbeaten and, before now, heavily avoided Kazakh warrior Gennady Golovkin looked like the only fighter capable of scooping up all four universally accepted 160 pound titles – WBC,WBA,IBF,WBO – but now, with GGG’s upcoming fight with Canelo Alvarez viewed by most as a 50/50 clash, and with the winner set to face the winner of the WBO title fight that will go down that same night, between Billy Joe Saunders and former GGG victim Willie Monroe Jr, there are differing opinions on who may become THE middleweight king in five to seven months from now.
Joe Smith Jr. suffers broken jaw in loss to Sullivan Barrera
Popular Long Island light heavyweight contender JOE SMITH JR. (23-2-0, 19 KO’S), gritted his way through Saturday’s ten round battle with SULLIVAN BARRERA (20-1-0, 14 KO’s), after suffering a broken jaw early in the 2nd round. Even with a broken jaw, Smith Jr. dug deep to fire away at the skilled Barrera until the final bell, in which he ultimately fell short by scores of 96-93 and 97-92 twice.
Robert Guerrero retires
After giving fans some of the most thrilling fights in boxing, which spanned over sixteen hard fought years, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero is announcing his retirement.
“First, I want to thank God for allowing me to have a wonderful career. I’m a kid from a small town in Gilroy, California, who made it to the mountain top of the boxing world. When I was a young kid growing up, I always believed in myself, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a small-town kid like myself, would be fighting in front of millions of fans.”
Goodbye and thanks to The Ghost; Robert Guerrero reaches the end
No matter how incredibly brave, no matter how talented and no matter how so full of faith and self belief a fighter is, the end has to come one day. This past weekend, on Saturday night in Uniondale, New York, in his 42 pro fight, the end came for the hugely popular Robert Guerrero.
“The Ghost,” as the Californian southpaw is known, appeared to have close to nothing left but his sheer heart against Omar Figueroa, who, with his five-knockdown, 3rd-round stoppage win, became the first man to stop the 34 year old. Guerrero, who had previously and quite recently been beaten by Keith Thurman (in a punishing fight), Danny Garcia and, in his fight before Saturday, David Peralta, must now prove to be the smart, realistic person we all know he is, and retire.
Billy Joe Saunders has harsh words for Willie Monroe Jr, Chris Eubank Jr.
WBO middleweight ruler Billy Joe Saunders has a big and meaningful fight for the first time in over a year, and the unbeaten southpaw is expected to formally announce it later today: Saunders, 24-0(12) is expected to face fellow southpaw Willie Monroe Junior, 21-2(6) on September 16 in London.
And today via instagram, Saunders appeared in a short video in which he had harsh words for both Monroe Jr. and Chris Eubank Jr. Saunders, in one of his biggest wins, decisioned Eubank back in November of 2014, taking Eubank’s unbeaten record, and he has been close to fighting him again. The rematch has not been made, though, and, in light of Eubank’s move up to super-middleweight and his entry into The World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament, it’s likely it never will get made.