Jessie Vargas wants Pacquiao

He may have lost out on a big unification meeting with IBF champ Kell Brook, but reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas believes he is on the verge of a much bigger fight: one with the soon to return Manny Pacquiao. As fans have read, superstar Pacquiao is, according to his promoter Bob Arum, set to return to action in November, in Las Vegas. Vargas, 27-1(10) and beaten only by Pacquiao common opponent Tim Bradley, told media members in Vegas yesterday how he feels he is very close to getting the Nov. 5 date with Pac-Man.

“I am the WBO welterweight champion and he wants to return to fight for this belt,” Vargas said as quoted by The National. “The fight is still under negotiation and I can say that soon we will announce it, although I do not want to advance because in boxing everything can change every minute. Manny has never faced someone like me. I’m at my best, I have several advantages. I’m taller and faster than him. I’m a really smart fighter too. I not only want to face him but I want to beat him. Juan Manuel Marquez did it and I want to beat him too, mainly because at his best he gave many headaches to Mexico fighters.”

continue

Adonis Stevenson proves he is the most exciting light-heavyweight today

(Photo credit: Dave Nadkarni/Premier Boxing Champions) WBC light-heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson last night retained his belt, the one he won in crushing fashion against Chad Dawson back in June of 2013, for the seventh time and what a thrilling fight he and his challenger Thomas Williams Junior put on in Quebec City. A sizzling slugfest the type fans love, Stevenson’s 4th-round KO over Williams Jr gave us plenty of terrific exchanges, switches in momentum and then, courtesy of “Superman’s” explosive left hand, a KO of The Year candidate.

Stevenson, now 28-1(23) proved in the all-southpaw battle that he is the most exciting light-heavyweight out there today. The 38-year-old (39 in September) might not be the best – and if he does face the winner of November’s Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward showdown, Stevenson will likely enter the ring as an underdog – but his blend of raw power, speed and willingness to rumble, combined with his often leaky defence and decent but not great chin, make Stevenson so compelling to watch.

continue

Charles Martin: is there any way back for him, do fans really care?

The above headline may seem a little harsh, but after the quite pathetic looking showing he gave against Anthony Joshua in April, fans have every right to have lost most, if not all interest in one “Prince” Charles Martin. Making the first defence of the IBF heavyweight title he was deemed by many to have been fortunate to win when Vyascheslav Glazkov’s knee blew out in a fight between the two that contested the recently vacated strap, Martin offered almost nothing against the big Brit known as A.J.

Martin was reportedly paid handsomely for his short, 2-rounds, night of work, and many fans felt they’d probably seen the last of Martin. But no, the former champ is set to get back into training in early August, with a couple of return fights being looked at before the humbled fighter who, before the Joshua debacle said he “walks this earth like a God,” hopes to get back to the top next year. This is the plan according to Martin’s manager, Mike Boroa, who outlined these plans to RingTV.com.

continue

Stevenson KOs Williams Jr; Alvarez beats Berridge

QUEBEC CITY (July 30, 2016) – Light heavyweight world champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (28-1, 23 KOs) delivered a highlight reel knockout victory over Thomas “Top Dogg” Williams Jr. (20-2, 14 KOs) in the fourth-round of an exciting main event showdown on Premier Boxing Champions on Spike Friday night from Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.

continue

Gh Bosslink Promotions bringing British boxer to fight in Ghana

Fresh from bringing down Korean boxers to train and fight professionally in Ghana, Gh Bosslink Promotions CEO, Collins-Bio Donkor has now also struck a deal for British boxer, Adam Taylor to come and hone his skills in the famous West African country.

Boxing247.com can exclusively report that Taylor, a super middleweight who has as a semi-pro fought all over the world but never in Africa and who now has a professional record of 2-1 and dreaming of a world title triumph, will arrive in Accra next month to train for some few days before making his Africa debut on the undercard of highly rated WBO Africa featherweight champion, Isaac Dogboe’s unification fight against Filipino, Tabanao in the Ghanaian capital on August 26.

continue

Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton: Classic Style Matchup

(Photo credit Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME) This Saturday night undefeated pugilists risk their O’s in a classic style-matchup that continues the oldest argument amongst fight fans. Leo Santa Cruz made a big statement last August when he beat three-weight champion Abner Mares. His counterpart, Carl Frampton, comes in to this dual fresh off the heels of his most impressive win over previously unbeaten Scott Quigg. The Barclays Center will serve as a middle-ground of sorts with UK fans traveling across the pond and it being Santa Cruz’s first time in New York period.

A year ago this scribe, like many, favored Carl Frampton to outmaneuver Leo on his way to a clear victory. That was before each combatant’s had faced Mares or Quigg. Having seen the combination of Santa Cruz adding to his tool belt and Carl withering a bit down the stretch, has changed things.

continue

Frampton not worried about size disadvantage against Santa Cruz

LONDON (29 July) – Carl Frampton insists that size won’t be a factor when he faces Mexican world champion Leo Santa Cruz this Saturday night.

The Belfast boxing ace faces his biggest test to date when he steps in against the taller and rangier Santa Cruz, who has two-and-a-half-inches over him in height and a telling seven-inch reach advantage.

continue

Carl Frampton on his fight with Leo Santa Cruz: “No hype required!”

(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME) Has tomorrow night’s WBA featherweight title clash between defending champion Leo Santa Cruz and challenger and super-bantamweight champ Carl Frampton been given enough hype? Has the clash of unbeatens been given the respect and attention it deserves? There are a number of internet articles out there pushing the fight, mostly Irish websites doing the work it must be said, but there doesn’t really seem to be a massive buzz surrounding this fight; a fight that really does deserve to be looked at as a potential classic.

Frampton’s not at all bothered by the lack of hype; as he made clear on his Twitter page an hour ago: “No hype required. Real fighters fight!” he wrote.

continue

Keith Thurman likely to be out of action for the remainder of 2016

WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder is not the only big name who will likely be out of action for the rest of the year due to injuries picked up in the ring. According to Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza, WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman will probably rest up for the remainder of 2016, so as to allow the cuts he picked up in his tremendous war with Shawn Porter to heal. And as gruelling and as draining as the June fight was for both winner and loser (there really was no “loser” in the FOTY candidate) a good break would not be a bad idea for both Thurman and Porter.

But, as Espinoza told RingTV.com, Thurman could be back with a massive fight in 2017: a unification fight with WBC welterweight ruler Danny Garcia. While “One Time” will live up to his nickname by having fought just one time this year, Garcia is reportedly in talks to face former champ Andre Berto in either September or October. A possibly risky fight for Garcia, who is unbeaten like Thurman, the rumble with Thurman would ideally come next should “Swift” get past Berto okay.

continue

Can a Wilder-Joshua clash bring the heavyweight magic back to Las Vegas?

There was a time, in the 1970s and 1980s especially, when almost all the big heavyweight fights took place under the glitzy lights of Las Vegas. Be it George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, and be it Caesars Palace, The Las Vegas Hilton or The Mirage, most of the heavyweight action was being fought in the Nevada desert. This changed in the 2000s and it’s hard to think of the last massive heavyweight showdown that took place in Vegas.

But this could change next year, so says Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza. Speaking with RingTV.com, Espinoza says there is a “lot of pent up demand” for a big heavyweight occasion in Vegas, and, all being well, rival title holders Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua will be giving these fans what they want before the end of 2017.

continue