US female boxing promoter lands in Accra for ‘Night of the Best’ amateur show Friday

The quest by former Ghanaian professional boxer, Emmanuel Addotei Addo alias Money Mosquito to identify and develop talents in the sport begins this Friday, January 20 when his TMM Promotions stage an amateur boxing tournament in Accra with his US based partners in attendance.

One of the partners, Devonne Canady, a former US amateur heavyweight champion and head of EIR Urban Youth and Boss Lady Promotions based in New Haven, Connecticut landed in Accra on Monday morning whilst two other partners are also expected to arrive in the country in time for the fight show on Friday.

continue

Badou Jack ordered to fight Callum Smith by WBC, but will Jack vacate and move up?

Badou Jack has barely been allowed enough time to get his breath back after Saturday’s rough and tough draw with James DeGale, yet the WBC super-middleweight champ has been ordered to begin negotiations with mandatory challenger Callum Smith.

Jack, as per the WBC order, has until February 17 to come to an agreement with the unbeaten Smith or the fight will go to purse bids. A good and interesting fight on paper, Jack-Smith might not even happen. Jack stated after the draw with IBF 168-pound champ DeGale that he struggles to make the weight and would prefer to move up to light-heavyweight – either to face DeGale again or to challenge reigning WBC 175-pound champ Adonis Stevenson.

continue

Adrien Broner predicts “enormous year,” says he’d come to UK to fight Ricky Burns

Back on good terms with Floyd Mayweather and seemingly fully focused on making the most of his talents, Adrien Broner – who recently acknowledged how he had to “grow up” – is predicting an “enormous year” for himself here in 2017. Broner, who has already captured belts in four weight classes, has called out everyone from Manny Pacquiao to Ricky Burns.

continue

Manny Pacquiao says he has four fights left – who should he face to see out his career?

Superstar, living legend, future Hall of Famer and all time great (yes, he’s definitely all four) Manny Pacquiao recently gave an interview in which he stated how he feels he has “three, maybe four fights” left inside him. Pac-Man, a truly special fighter who has achieved so, so much, is 38 and he could be gone, perhaps should be gone and retired, by the age of 40.

But if Pacquiao does have four more fights before waving goodbye to the prize ring and fully committing himself to his other passion, politics, who should his opponents be? No disrespect to Australia’s Jeff Horn, but wouldn’t it be great, and fitting, if this unique fighter fought four big fights before leaving us?

continue

Floyd Mayweather asks, “Are they [the judges] being paid under the table?” after Jack-DeGale draw

As fight fans are probably aware, superstar Floyd Mayweather had plenty to say, both before, during and after Saturday night’s big 168-pound unification fight between his fighter Badou Jack and Britain’s James DeGale. But it is what “Money” said after the controversial draw that saw both warriors keep their belt, that has attracted the most attention.

Mayweather was furious over the decision that denied Jack from adding the IBF title to the WBC he already holds, and he has even questioned whether the judges are “being paid under the table?” Mayweather is so angry, he is quoted, by The Mirror, as saying he may not come back to New York to promote any future fights.

continue

Vasyl Lomachenko-Jezreel Corrales a strong possibility for April says Arum

It seems there could be plenty of title fight unification match-ups taking place here in 2017. We’ve already had the James DeGale-Badou Jack super-middleweight thriller (which, okay, it didn’t produce the hoped for unified 168-pound champ, but the two warriors tried their best and that’s the point), and in March we will have welterweight stars Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia facing each other for two major belts.

Another hugely intriguing and exciting unification fight could happen in April, as Bob Arum, in speaking with TASS, said reigning WBO super-featherweight king Vasyl Lomachenko will likely face reigning WBA 130-pound boss Jezreel Corrales, on either the 8th or on the 15th of April.

continue

Ringside Report: Lara vs. Foreman

Friday, January 13, 2017, WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs) retained his title by knocking out Yuri Foreman (34-3-0, 10 KOs) in the fourth round of a scheduled twelve-round bout at the Hialeah Park Casino in Hialeah, FL.

The champion, Lara, is a Cuban-born fighter who resides in Houston, Texas. A Cuban expatriate, he has built an incredible career in professional boxing in the United States, earning him the handle “The American Dream.” Lara proudly wears this name across the waistband of his trunks. After losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a highly-contested split decision in 2014, Lara has won all of his last five bouts.

continue

The DeGale-Jack war could be just the start of a great 2017

The terrific battle super super-middleweights James DeGale and Badou Jack put on last night in New York may have exceeded expectations. Fans expected a good fight, but they arguably got a great one. The drawn verdict aside – a draw rarely pleases in boxing – we want to see more of what we were privileged to have seen last night.

And the way 2017 is shaping up, with a number of potentially great match-ups already confirmed and others likely to be announced over the coming months, fight fans might just get one of the best years in a long time.

continue

Chris Eubank Jr says he wants James DeGale next – says he is “coming for the rest of those teeth!”

It seems Chris Eubank Junior has moved on from calling out middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, to shouting and screaming about what he will do to reigning IBF super-middleweight boss James DeGale. Recently, just before DeGale went to war in last night’s excellent fight with Badou Jack – a performance which Eubank Jnr has yet to match at any time in his career – the two went back and forth on Twitter.

continue

Floyd Mayweather angry over Jack-DeGale draw: “This is bad for boxing”

While it seems the majority of people agree with the majority draw the three judges collectively handed in after super-middleweights James DeGale and Badou Jack went to war in a great fight, some, including Floyd Mayweather, are extremely unhappy with last night’s decision.

continue