Canelo vs. Khan: For Real or Just A Formality?

Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez faces Amir Khan for the lineal middleweight title at Canelo’s made-up weight class of 155 pounds. The Cinco de Mayo matchup will be broadcasted by HBO PPV live from the brand new T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout’s original purpose was to help drum-up interest while building to a September PPV blockbuster on Mexican Independence weekend.

Now it looks as if fans will have to suffer through a marinating process that could last another year or two. The boxing faithful not only lose out on a super fight between Canelo and Gennady Golovkin. They also had to endure a Golovkin slaughter in yet another mismatch in a HBO main event that in hindsight was completely meaningless.

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Fury doesn’t think Chisora will beat Pulev, will root for him anyway

Dereck Chisora will likely earn himself a world title shot if he can defeat Kubrat Pulev in tomorrow’s European heavyweight title clash – possibly against IBF champ Anthony Joshua (Eddie Hearn says a victorious Chisora would be an option for Joshua). But can “Del Boy” become only the second man to defeat the tough, durable and experienced Pulev? One man who has his doubts is heavyweight ruler Tyson Fury.

Fury told Sky Sports he will be supporting Chisora, and that he may even go out to Hamburg to walk Chisora into the ring. Former bitter rivals – fighting twice, Fury wining both, the second fight by corner retirement stoppage – Fury now says he has “a little soft spot” for Chisora.

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Andy Ruiz Jr to make ring return next month; you’ll never guess who against!

One of the more interesting heavyweights out there, unbeaten Andy Ruiz Jr, has not yet seen his skills tested at the highest level; or anything approaching the highest level to be perfectly honest. This doesn’t mean Ruiz, 26-0(17) and hailing from California, cannot fight, he most certainly can. Possessing fast hands, power and, despite his bulky physical appearance, a good engine, the 26-year-old has impressed his share of fans and experts. We just don’t yet know whether or not Ruiz – who hasn’t fought since last October and who has boxed just twice in the past 17 months (although he did box in both September and October of last year) – is world class.

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With Amir Khan, It’s Always Been All or Nothing

In a recent interview, British star, Amir Khan stated that should he defeat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez this Saturday night for the WBC Middleweight title that he would not rule out the possibility of facing Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin.

That’s a scary thought, far more scary than what might happen to him this weekend against an opponent who will outweigh him by a substantial margin come fight time. And what may be scarier than all possible scenarios is that Khan really means it. Call it delusional if you’d like but in this day of false bravado and bluffing from behind layers of politics, Amir Khan actually means what he says. A fighter like this should be lauded.

But he’s not.

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The Middleweight Theatre of the Absurd

The WBC middleweight title has been kidnapped for ransom. Back in 2014 Miguel Cotto, an outstanding welter/super welterweight, caught a huge break when he was chosen to relieve ailing warhorse Sergio Martinez from his middleweight title. It is not clear how he qualified for a title fight at middleweight without having ever fought in this weight classs. He had lost his super welterweight title to Austin Trout and after that fought and TKOed Delvin Rodriguez in a non-title super welterweight bout. It would appear he was handpicked to succeed Sergio Martinez who was 39 at the time with a history of serious injuries and retired after the fight.

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Alvarez vs. Khan Odds and Ends…Canelo is a huge favorite in the Fight!

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez -550 (2/11)
Amir Khan +375 (15/4)

Will the fight go the distance?
Yes (Fight goes the distance) +160 (8/5)
No (Fight does not go the distance) -240 (5/12)

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Canelo – Khan undercard quotes

(Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions) LAS VEGAS (May 5, 2016) Fighters on the undercard of Canelo vs. Khan hosted a final press conference today at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ahead of Saturday’s bouts. Co-main event fighters David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) and Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-2, 15 KOs) were joined by Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs), Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs), Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs), and Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs), all of whom will fight on the HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast.

They were also joined by preliminary undercard fighters Diego De La Hoya (14-0, 8 KOs), Rocco Santomauro (13-0, 1 KO), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (10-0, 9 KOs), “King” James De La Rosa (23-3, 13 KOs), Lamont Roach, Jr. (10-0, 3 KOs), Rashidi Ellis (14-0, 11 KOs), and David Mijares, who will make his professional debut on Saturday at the new T-Mobile Arena.

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Canelo-Khan quotes for Saturday’s fight

(Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions) LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2016) WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British top fighter and former two-time world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) met today for one final press conference at the Kà Theater in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas ahead of their middleweight championship mega-fight showdown on May 7 at the new T-Mobile Arena, which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s final press conference:

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Joshua-Breazeale quotes

(Credit: Matchroom Sport) LONDON (May 4, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua and unbeaten American challenger Dominic Breazeale had an intense face-to-face meeting on Wednesday before a contingent of major sports media outlets in London to formally announce their June 25 showdown. The two were joined by SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President & General Manager Stephen Espinoza and Matchroom Sports President Eddie Hearn, as the executives announced Joshua’s new exclusive U.S. television deal. All four participants later took part on a teleconference with U.S. media.

Highlights from today’s press conference at Hilton London Syon Park and teleconference are below.

Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Los Angeles’ Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) live on SHOWTIME at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The heavyweight showdown is the first of a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, the 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from London.

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Joshua-Breazeale go head to head; A.J calls himself the underdog ahead of June fight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90VTlIjK8DQ

Heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Dominic Breazeale came face to face at a London press conference earlier today, and both unbeaten fighters had plenty to say about their upcoming June 25th fight. Joshua will make the first defence of his IBF belt against fellow 2012 Olympian Breazeale and far from overlooking the unbeaten but largely untested (the same could of course be said of A.J) 30-year-old Californian, Joshua said he sees himself as the underdog going into the fight.

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