The above statement, on IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, was not made by Eddie Hearn, but by his father, Barry Hearn. Still, regardless of who made the bold statement, it is just that – bold. Many people (myself included) see Joshua, 16-0(16) as a talented fighter with plenty of potential, but nothing more at this stage in his career. Look at Joshua’s record of opposition and you will see two, maybe three decent names. Until he beats an elite heavyweight – a Tyson Fury, a Wladimir Klitschko or a Deontay Wilder for example – the jury will still be out on how good, or great, as Hearn claims, Joshua really is.
Korean boxer Lee Kyu Suk makes waves in Ghana
Lee Kyu Suk claimed a second straight first round win in only his second professional fight after stopping Ghana’s James Lamptey in a Welterweight contest on the undercard of Isaac Dogboe-Edward Kakembo WBO Africa championship in Accra on Saturday night.
Lee who arrived in the West African country two months ago on a 6-month training tour to hone his boxing skills, launched his professional career with a round one victory over another Ghanaian, Francis Gakpetor back in April and the Korean was at it again on Saturday night at the Accra Sports Stadium in front of dignitaries including former Ghana president, Jerry Rawlings and former boxing world champion and Hall of Famer, Azumah Nelson.
Tyson Fury still angry at IBF, vows to never again fight for the belt he once held
Tyson Fury, the lineal world heavyweight champion, is still angry at the way the IBF declared their belt vacant just days after he had won it by beating Wladimir Klitschko in a big upset last November. Fury, unable to defend the strap as quickly as the organisation demanded, watched as Charles Martin became the new IBF ruler, subsequently losing it in double-quick time to Anthony Joshua.
40 years on and “Rocky” still inspires
It’s quite hard to believe, but the classic, the inspirational and the just plain terrific “Rocky” movie is 40 years old this year. Released just before Christmas, in early December of 1976, the film was an instant success and all these years later it’s still nothing but a treat to watch. There is just so much to enjoy from this, a relatively low budget, but highly moving piece of cinema. The film of course made a hero out of its star, Sylvester Stallone, but the supporting cast, the theme music, the realistic fight scenes and makeup, all share top billing.
Joe Smith Jr. TKOs Andrzej Fonfara in round one
6/19/16, Chicago- The light heavyweight division has a new face, and his name is Joe Smith, Jr. In one of boxing’s shockers of the year, Star Boxing’s Long Island knockout artist known as “The Irish Bomber” (22-1, 18 KOs) stunned the heavily-favored power-puncher Andrzej Fonfara (28-4, 16 KOs) with a first round TKO in the scheduled 10-round light heavyweight main event on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC on Saturday night (June 18) at UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
Justin Fortune: “Solomon Haumono can punch like a train” – confident of upsetting Joseph Parker
40-year-old Solomon Haumono will certainly be ruining a lot of big plans if he pulls off the upset and defeats top-ranked IBF heavyweight contender Joseph Parker when they meet next month, but Haumono’s trainer Justin Fortune is confident it can happen. Currently training the 24-2-2(21) giant in Los Angeles, Fortune – best known as a former co-trainer of superstar Manny Pacquiao but also a former heavyweight himself – told The Daily Telegraph that “Sol,” as he refers to Haumono, is “going to be completely different to anything he has ever shown in the past.”
Anthony Joshua wants to pay The Greatest tribute, by doing The Ali Shuffle on Saturday!
The tributes continue to pour in for The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, as we all knew they would after his sad passing of June 3rd. But one man, IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, a huge Ali fan, is planning to pay a visual tribute to the great man: by mimicking Ali’s flashy Ali Shuffle. A number of fighters who came after Ali have tried to either win over fans or impress them by doing The Shuffle, and it has not always gone down too well. Seen by many fans as a classless act, by fighters who were not worthy of imitating the incomparable Ali (think Tony Tucker, for example, when he did The Shuffle during his big fight with Mike Tyson; the fans booed and the commentators cringed).
Erickson Lubin Blasts Mexico’s Daniel Sandoval
Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (15-0, 11 KOs) earned a third-round stoppage of Mexico’s Daniel Sandoval (38-4, 34 KOs) in their super welterweight contest.
Joe Smith Jr. beats Andrzej Fonfara
In one of the year’s shockers, Star Boxing’s Long Island knockout artist Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) stunned heavily-favored power-puncher Andrzej Fonfara (28-4, 16 KOs) with a first round TKO in the scheduled 10-round light heavyweight main event on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC tonight at UIC Pavilion in Chicago.
Rau’shee Warren Wins Majority Decision Over Juan Carlos Payano
Rau’shee Warren (14-1, 4 KOs) earn a bantamweight world championship as he defeated Juan Carlos Payano (17-1, 8 KOs) in a rematch of their August 2015 world title bout.
The three-time Olympian Warren became the first member of the 2012 U.S. team to earn a world title when he was awarded the majority decision over the two-time Dominican Olympian Payano.