Another month, another outdoor stadium event in the fertile grounds of the United Kingdom boxing scene comes to fruition as Kell Brook defends his IBF welterweight strap against Errol Spence. Some 27,000 fans will fill Bramall Lane Stadium in Sheffield, England to witness their hometown fighter dare to be great. Crossing the pond is an unbeaten American who looks the part and finally gets cast in a role of a lifetime.
Vernon Forrest – would he have beaten Floyd?
A very fine, take no prisoners welterweight who never once looked to pick and choose his opposition, the late, great Vernon Forrest more than made his mark on the sport despite his shocking and untimely passing.
Forrest, a superb amateur, was so good that twice, with both men in their prime, he beat – and beat up – Sugar Shane Mosley. These two had met at amateur level, yet despite his Sugar, Mosley never was able to get to grips with Forrest’s poison. Fast, dangerously powerful and in possession of a great chin, Forrest could have been a superstar. He wasn’t, in large part due to how one man avoided him: Floyd Mayweather Junior.
Pre-fight pick: Spence shocks Brook with mid-rounds stoppage
We have, as all fight fans are fully aware, one big, hugely intriguing and potentially explosive welterweight title fight tomorrow night in The Steel City, Sheffield. In the Kell Brook-Errol Spence clash we also have a genuine 50-50 fight. Who will win – defending IBF champ Brook, or unbeaten mandatory challenger Spence?
Again, it’s a tough one.
Southpaw sensation Spence has been groomed for stardom, with many sage observers predicting superstar status. Indeed, thus far in his exciting and impressive pro career, Spence has pretty much shown it all. Pretty much. The one big question mark next to any up and coming fighter resides right bang next to his chin. Can the speedy Spence take a hard shot if he has to do so? Chances are good we will get an answer tomorrow evening.
Mikey Garcia vs. Adrien Broner in the works for July 29
A mouth-watering catchweight fight between Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia are said to be in the works for July 29 on Showtime Boxing in a fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to RingTV. Negotiations are going on between the two camps. It’s a great fight, especially Broner. He needs a big right now to revive his stalled career which appears to be heading downwards despite him being only 27.
Brook expects to drop Spence on Saturday
Errol Spence Jr. hasn’t been knocked in his 5-year pro career, but he could be getting knocked down this Saturday night according to IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook. He says the two of them could both get knocked down. However, he believes he’ll get up and be the one that gets the win in this fight.
Brook vs. Spence: Quotes, Interviews & Videos
IBF Welterweight World Champion Kell Brook and No. 1-ranked contender, Errol Spence Jr. went face-to-face for the first time in months today/Thursday at the final press conference before they square-off on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING this Saturday, May 27 from Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England, live on SHOWTIME (5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT).
Groves vs. Chudinov: George not overlooking Fedor
George Groves (25-3, 18 KOs) is a solid favorite to defeated former world champion Fedor Chudinov (14-1, 10 KOs) this Saturday night in their fight for the WBA Super World super middleweight title at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England. Groves, 29, isn’t overlooking Chudinov for an instant in this fight because he believes he hasn’t shown his full potential yet at this point.
Miguel Cotto vs Yoshihiro Kamegai on August 26
Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs), the only four-division world champion in the rich boxing history of Puerto Rico, will return to the ring on Saturday, August 26 to take on the always-exciting Yoshihiro “El Maestrito” Kamegai (27-3-2, 24 KOs) in a 12-round match for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship from the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Cotto will attempt to secure a sixth world championship in four weight classes as he makes his 23rd appearance on HBO.
Golovkin-Canelo: Will it be Hagler-Hearns or Hagler-Duran; or somewhere in between?
Envoking as it has, the great superfights of the 1980s, when The Four Kings – Leonard, Hearns, Duran and Hagler – led the way, this September’s Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez clash has one enormous load of expectation attached to it. Perhaps too much for the middleweight title showdown to possibly deliver?
We’ve seen “can’t miss” classics fizzle out before our very eyes a number of times; far more so than we’ve been treated to what we always want from a fight:blood, guts, knockdowns and or trading and finally a KO. But what will we get when GGG and Canelo collide?
Shannon Briggs: Is it all over?
As fight fans have surely read by now, super vocal former heavyweight champ Shannon Briggs failed a recent pre-fight drugs test; the coming up positive ruining the 45 year old’s spurious WBA “world ” title chance of a lifetime against fellow veteran Fres Oquendo.
This title bout, though much maligned, would likely have seen to it that Briggs would win a slice of a belt; possibly getting himself into position for bigger fights down the road – and of course in line for one last big payday before the “Let’s Go Champ” chants would fall silent. But now, his career and reputation in dire straights, Briggs’ fighting days may have come to an end. Sans the last big pay day.