by James Carlos Blake – Reviewed by Mike Keeler (4 Stars out of 5)
What do you think of when you hear the name Stanley Ketchel?
For the young crowd, and I have asked some young people what they think of Ketchel, most don’t have any opinion of him at all. For the most part the people that do have an opinion on Stanley Ketchel only know him as a name in a record book. They just don’t think about him. He’s a vague reference at best, shrouded in the mystery of almost a century of time passed.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, the only man who can win the WBC middleweight title on Saturday night thanks to the sanctioning body withdrawing recognition of Miguel Cotto as champion, has shrugged off claims from Cotto trainer Freddie Roach that he is too inexperienced at elite level, saying he has learned something from each of his 47 pro contests.
The World Boxing Council worked tirelessly through a process that began over two years ago to secure the celebration of the highly anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The WBC is proud of that accomplishment that is giving boxing fans around the world a very important fight to see. After several weeks of communications, countless attempts and good faith time extensions trying to preserve the fight as a WBC World Championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion did not agree to comply with the WBC Rules & Regulations, while Saúl Alvarez has agreed to do so. Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight.
Canadian former world light heavyweight champ, Jean Pascal is to employ the services of esteemed Wild Card trainer, Freddie Roach ahead of his January rematch with dangerous Russian banger, Sergey Kovalev.
Pascal was stopped by WBO/WBA/IBF champ, Kovalev, back in March, and has since gone on to win a highly controversial decision over Cuba’s Yunieski Gonzalez back in June, a performance that made the former WBC 175 lb boss consider a change of direction from long-time cornerman, Marc Ramsay, who had guided his pro career since day one.
IBF super middleweight champion, James DeGale (21-1, 14ko) has predicted that he will end veteran Canadian former champion, Lucian Bute (32-2, 25ko) inside 3 rounds when the two square off in Canada at the end of this month.
DeGale will again travel to North America on the 28th, following his title winning effort over Andre Dirrell in Boston back in May, and has told fighthype.com that he is feeling as good as ever and senses a knockout finish against the 35 year old Bute.
MEXICAN SUPERSTAR CANELO REFUSES TO LOOK PAST WORLD CHAMPION COTTO AS HE PREPARES FOR ‘50-50’ MEGAFIGHT – Boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez has refused to look too far ahead as he prepares for his ’50-50’ fight with WBC middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto.
The stacked 160-pound division is brimming with talent including WBA and IBF knockout king Gennady Golovkin, WBO champion Andy Lee who defends his title against the undefeated Billy Joe Saunders, with Daniel Jacobs set to take on former champion Peter Quillin.
(Photo Credit: Frank Coppi/Matchroom Boxing) LONDON (Nov. 16, 2015) – Two days before he departs for Canada, IBF Super Middleweight World Champion James “Chunky” DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) held an open media workout at the Stonebridge Boxing Club in London as he nears completion of a 10-plus week training camp for his title defense against former world champion and Canadian fan favorite, Lucian Bute (32-2, 25 KOs), of Montreal, on Saturday, Nov. 28, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT) from the Vidéotron Centre of Quebec City.
The event billed as “THE RECLAMATION” is a presentation of Vidéotron in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu.
Lou DiBella
Thanks all for joining us for a conference call for what figures to be one of the best fight shows of the year and a great way for SHOWTIME to close out 2015. On Saturday, December 5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York we have Daniel Jacobs against Peter Quillin, the middleweight championship of the world. The winner takes the belt and Brooklyn. Live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. And there will also be a SHOWTIME Extreme show beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
(A very candid Editorial by resident boxing scribe Vivek “Vito” Wallace)
There’s been a lot of talk about the perceived negativity aimed towards Ronda Rousey in light of her recent loss. In an effort to provide some level of clarity, I’d like to examine this topic a bit closer. Ronda is a very solid fighter with a great story. But what some need to realize is that there are fans who literally hate to see the media pick and choose who it wants to build up and who it wants to tear down. The word “hate” is probably a bit strong, but under the circumstances, most would agree necessary.
Miguel Cotto’s trainer Freddie Roach, is standing firm on his prediction that the WBC middleweight champion will knock out enormously popular Mexican challenger, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on Saturday night in Las Vegas, live on HBO PPV/Boxnation (UK).
Roach has been very vocal in his pre-fight prediction, as is always the case with the esteemed 7x trainer of the year, and is claiming that a fight plan based on aggressive bodywork will put an end to the younger Mexican, who he has called ‘not that great a fighter’ in the build-up, citing Alvarez’s tendency to fade and gas-out as a driving reason for his ‘mid-rounds’ KO prediction.