Sergey Kovalev “Andre Ward, He’s another piece of sh*t in my eyes! He’s not real man!”
All the big boxing names are currently gathered in New York, primarily for tonight’s world middleweight title clash between punchers Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs. Included is one of the biggest hitters on the planet pound-for-pound, light-heavyweight “Krusher” Sergey Kovalev.
Conor McGregor is either doing a great job of selling his “super-fight” with Floyd Mayweather, or he genuinely believes he is going to win if and when the two titans clash later this year – maybe it’s a bit of both.
For last night in New York, after he had walked fellow Irishman Michael Conlan to the ring for the 2016 Olympian’s pro debut in Madison Square Garden, McGregor let loose with a torrent of confidence/arrogance/bombast. Speaking with reporters at ringside, the MMA star said that he is “The boxing guy,” and that, “No-one in this boxing game knows what’s coming.”
In a 12-round heavyweight war that lived up to the hype, Amir Mansour (23-2-1, 16 KOs) was able to take a majority decision (114-114, 117-111, 115-113) over Travis Kauffman (31-2, 23 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce from Santander Arena in Reading, PA.
In round two, Kauffman buckled Mansour with a hard right on the inside. The two fighters started round four with bad intentions as they each landed hard shots on the inside. Kauffman switched back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances in an attempt to befuddle the southpaw Mansour.
Michael Conlan showed off his punching power and body punching tonight in defeating Tim Ibarra (4-5, 1 KOs) by a technical knockout in round 3 in front of a large crowd of 5,102 boxing fans at Madison Square Garden in New York. Conlan, 25, hurt Ibarra was a nice shot in round 3, and he then hit him with everything in the kitchen sink until referee Benjy Esteves Jr. called a halt to the fight.
Every generation in the sport seems to bless fans and media with a rare talent that embodies the innate ability to put cheeks-in-seats with an almost effortless element of star power. For some of those talents, the attraction to be witnessed is more ‘power’ than ‘star’. Tonight, that source sits center stage, showcasing the very power that made him a star. The Kazakhstan born native is a talent with the clarity of “HD”, has a punch that jumps at you like 3-D, and rather than his first and last name, he’s simply known to the world as 3 “G”. The man in the opposite corner tonight has a legacy outside of the ring that rivals anything either has accomplished inside of it. As these two forces prepare to collide, we take one final look at Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, and an Official Prediction:
In a strange development, Danny Jacobs did not appear for this morning’s same-day weigh-in conducted by the IBF. Gennady Golovkin, who will of course be defending his belts against Jacobs tonight in New York, tipped in at 169.6 pounds at the same-day weigh-in check, but whatever happens in the fight, Jacobs will not be able to win the IBF title.
Stated IBF President Lindsey Tucker:
Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin fight for legacy this Saturday night live on HBO PPV at the Mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden. Most think Jacobs represents Triple G’s stiffest test during an impressive title defense run at middleweight. Roman Gonzalez and Carlos Cuadras return in separate bouts on the undercard and if both successful the plan is to run it back in the summer. There first scrape was highly entertaining and very close hence the need for a rematch.
Honestly speaking it’s totally acceptable to ask if Danny will be yet another good boy. And that’s not said to make fun of ‘The Miracle Man’ it’s a real question that will be answered on Saturday. Jacobs defiantly looks every bit the part of a big and powerful middleweight something Golovkin hasn’t had to deal with. Sure, Martin Murray is a big guy but lacks the power punching. Marco Antonio Rubio, David Lemieux, and Curtis Stevens all had power but were unable to deplore it enough in their fights against GGG.
Upon entering the ring in the Coliseo Roberto Clemente stadium in Puerto Rico 40 years ago today, former heavyweight king George Foreman had Muhammad Ali on his mind; in particular a rematch with the man who had shocked, stunned and beaten him three years earlier.
But at the conclusion of his frustrating fight with Jimmy Young, Foreman would soon have nothing but God and a new life on his mind. It was “Big George’s” fight with Young – won by Young via 12 round unanimous decision – that forever changed the Texan giant’s life; or rather it was the fight’s aftermath that did the changing.
It’s almost fight time, and everyone and anyone has had a say on what will unfold inside the legendary venue that is Madison Square Garden in New York tomorrow night. Most experts are picking middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin to beat Danny Jacobs and retain both his belts and perfect record, while some people are giving the once-beaten Jacobs a shot at scoring the upset.
One thing almost everyone is agreed on is this: the fight is not going the distance. Someone will get KO’d, very possibly violently so. That said, who do you WANT to win tomorrow? Jacobs is a fighter and a man who is simply impossible to dislike. We all know “The Miracle Man’s” story; of how he beat “career-ending” cancer (so said the doctors) and came back to where he is now in boxing – on the verge of true international stardom. Plenty of us will likely find it all but impossible not to root for Jacobs once the action gets underway tomorrow.
Who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today? Roman Gonzalez and Gennady Golovkin, for many people two of the best on the planet today, are both in action tomorrow night, while Vasyl Lomachenko, the P-4-P pick of many fans, returns to action in April. But if it’s not one of these three great fighters you have as your No.1 P-4-P, then maybe it’s Terence Crawford.
The undefeated super-lightweight champ who also reigned as a world champ at lightweight, will return on May 20 in Newark, New Jersey and according to his promoter Bob Arum, Crawford will face either Adrian Granados or Felix Diaz. Arum spoke with RingTV.com yesterday: