Former super-middleweight world champion, Lucian Bute, claims he is more than focused on his bid to reclaim his old title, meeting current IBF 168 lb belt holder, James DeGale on Saturday night in Quebec, and warning that the pressure is all on the Londoner.
DeGale is travelling to Bute’s Quebec backyard for the maiden defence of his title; his second fight in North America, having won his title in the US back in May against Andre Dirrell.
Former WBA heavyweight champion, David Haye, has predicted that Tyson Fury’s chances of dethroning Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday night are 1/20 at best, and that the gulf in class will be painfully apparent after the first bell sounds in Dusseldorf’s Esprit Arena.
Haye – who famously lost a wide points decision to Klitschko in 2011, and twice pulled out of fighting Fury, citing injury – is set for a ring return in January after 3 1/2 years out of action, and claims to be targeting the top once again under new trainer, Shane McGuigan, meaning an eventual fight with Fury could be on the cards should the Mancunian pull off the win on Saturday.
Don’t be surprised if Floyd Mayweather comes back in May 2016 to steal the show from the WBC and GGG. It’s my belief that Mayweather, the opportunist will return back to boxing to break the record number of wins #49. Who is the most logical opponent for him to make history against, not only to get win number 50, but to win the WBC middleweight title than from the newly crowned champion Saul Canelo Alvarez.
Super welterweight world champion and Cuban sensation Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (22-2-2, 13 KOs) successfully defended his title against former world champion and Slovenian Jan Zaveck (35-4, 19 KOs) in a Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN show from Miami’s Hialeah Park Racing & Casino.
Due to weather in the area, the main event was moved up to ensure the fight happened. From the opening bell, Lara controlled the action by landing heavy blows. In the third round, the ref stopped the action with Zaveck against the ropes, unable to continue. The ref called a stop to the fight at :41 into the third round.
Tyson Fury has suggested he can make short work of Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday night in Dusseldorf, predicting his shot at the dominant Ukrainian’s WBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight titles will be one of the ‘easiest fights’ of his career.
The 6′ 9″ British challenger has not been short of confidence in the build up to his big chance, which he believes he is more than ready for, claiming he is prepared for any number of different outcomes once the first bell goes, and has seen more than enough holes he believes he can take advantage of in the 39 year old Klitschko’s game.
(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME) QUEBEC CITY, Canada (Nov. 25, 2015) – Boldly predicting at least a sixth-round finish against hometown favorite Lucian Bute, a confident James DeGale held his IBF Super Middleweight World Championship belt high over his head during the main event press conference in advance of Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event.
“Gonna be six rounds, but it may be three,” DeGale repeated over and over as the fighters concluded their final shots for a packed room of media members on Wednesday at the Le Bonne Entente Hotel. DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs), from London, England, defends against the popular former 168-pound world champion Bute (32-2, 25 KOs), of Montreal, this Saturday from the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Newly retired former P4P star, Floyd Mayweather, has responded to Oscar De La Hoya’s recent ‘open letter’ that said boxing wouldn’t be missing the self-professed ‘TBE,’ thanks largely to his ‘boring’ style and carefully managed career moves, by saying that he never ducked or dodged anyone in his career, though neither did he promise ‘excitement’ in May’s anticipated clash with Manny Pacquiao either.
Mayweather was also dismissive of much of De La Hoya’s honest and – admittedly self-promoting – letter, stating his belief that the boxing world as a whole must miss him if he is constantly being talked about – especially with regard as to whether he will return for the attempt at 50-0 next year.
WBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (64-3, 53ko) has again stated his belief that Saturday’s defence of his titles against Tyson Fury (24-0, 18ko), is a fight that’s come too soon for his British challenger.
Fury enters into his 25th professional outing against a dominant Klitschko, who is undefeated in the last 11 1/2 years and going into his 68th pro contest, though for some is beginning to show small signs of age at 39 years old that the unbeaten Brit – a 7 year pro – can potentially take advantage of.
Wladimir Klitschko has said he ‘doesn’t care’ about the glove controversy that is potentially going to scupper Saturday’s heavyweight world title fight with Tyson Fury, and that in his eyes, Fury’s protestations and threats to pull out of the fight are merely ‘reality’ setting in.
Fury is concerned that his Klitschko-selected ‘Paffen’ fight-night gloves will be damaging to his thumbs, after a first test pair he was sent proved injurious in training, and has stated his concerns that a pair designed to different, more comfortable specifications – that he has also tested – will not be provided in time for the first bell.
BROOKLYN (Nov. 25, 2015) – After hosting separate Coast-to-Coast media workouts in Miami and Marina del Rey, Calif., Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Jesus Cuellar, Jonathan “Polvo” Oquendo and Chris Algieri spoke to the media about their respective showdowns next Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, live on SHOWTIME.
Quillin, Oquendo and Algieri held their media workout at the 5th Street Gym in Miami while Cuellar hosted media at CMC Pro Boxing Gym in Marina del Rey.