Cotto told me he would KO Mayweather with me in his corner, Roach said

Trainer Freddie Roach is highly interested in a future fight between his fighter WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Cotto lost to Mayweather by a 12 round unanimous decision three years ago in 2012, but that was before Roach took over as Cotto’s trainer. Roach now thinks that with his help, he’d lead Cotto to victory over Mayweather.

The Mayweather-Cotto rematch is definitely an option for 2015 or 2016, and it’s a potential plan-B for Mayweather if the negotiations between him and Manny Pacquiao go down the toilet.

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Wilder vs. Stiverne interview transcript

DON KING: I would like to say first that Amir Imam will be on the card also. He is a super-sensational fighter and we are looking forward to seeing him. This program is “Return to Glory” America’s return to glory in the heavyweight division. The WBC champion Bermane Stiverne against the mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder. It is something that is going to be a great event but it is a fight for Peace. Then with the Bombs Away is an addition to. This is going to bring boxing back to where it should be and get the country back to where it should be – being able to bring the glory back to the heavyweight division, which has been lacking for quite a while now. We are going to celebrate this at the MGM Grand with a salute to Kirk Kerkorian, the founder of bringing the MGM and all the rest of the then in Las Vegas and making it the boxing capital of the world. I am very excited about this and I know you’ll be too. It is going to be a super-sensational card and a lovely night at the MGM Grand and the lion shall roar. We are very happy to be able to present this to you. Keep in mind this is a fight to unify – unify, solidarity and togetherness and you are going to have a peoples’ champion – a guy that’s name is Bermane, who reminds me of Mike Tyson the awesome devastating puncher, meeting another puncher named Deontay Wilder. I am very happy to be able to address you about it and look forward to seeing you at the fight.

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Kovalev vs. Pascal presser quotes

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs), the current WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion, and Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs), the former WBC and Lineal Light Heavyweight Champion and Current holder of the WBC Diamond Belt, addressed the U.S. media in New York City in advance of their March 14 fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight Championships. Kovalev has been named The Fighter of the Year by the WBO, Sports Illustrated, BleacherRepor, New York Post, USA Today and many others and today received his WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship Ring from Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events.

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Alvarado & Rios Denver Media Workout Quotes

Just 10 days before they write the final chapter of their epic trilogy, former world champions and co-stars of one this era’s most intense and exciting boxing rivalries, Denver’s “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO and BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS of Oxnard, Calif., met with the media today at a media workout at Alvarado’s Denver-based gym. Alvarado (34-3, 23 KOs) and Rios (32-2-1, 22 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., who each own a victory in the series — both of which were candidates for Fight of the Year in 2012 and 2013 — discussed the upcoming Alvarado-Rios 3, which is scheduled for 12 rounds with the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight championship on the line. Taking place Saturday, January 24, at the 1STBANK Center, located in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, CO, Alvarado-Rios 3 will be televised live on HBO, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The last boxing event hosted by 1STBANK Center was sold out in advance — the October 19, 2013 WBO junior welterweight world championship between Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov.

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Arum: “We’ve agreed to everything. I want this fight to actually happen”

It is entirely possible that if nothing goes outrageously wrong, this might be the last article I write on the topic of Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao without discussing ticket prices and proposed details of the would-be already signed bout.

Bob Arum of Top Rank has stated to Yahoo Sports that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to all of the terms set forth by team Mayweather Jr., and now all that is left is Floyd’s approval.

“I want to get some movement here, with bringing Mayweather to the table so we can go out and get everything signed and get the networks together and get the thing finished,” pleaded Arum to Yahoo Sports.

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Guerrero Vs. Thurman, Broner Vs. Molina

It`s official: Robert Guerrero will be facing Keith Thurman in the main event of the NBC Boxing premier set for March 7th. The undercard will feature Adrien Broner Vs. John Molina. Robert Guerrero has not fought since June of last year, where he earned a hard-fought victory over Yoshihiro Kamegai. Keith Thurman had an unimpressive win over Bundu but has kept himself more active than Guerrero. Thurman can punch and Guerrero can take a few to land his own. This should be a great fight and a big test for Thurman. We will see if Thurman’s power is too much for Guerrero or if he will he fold under Guerrero’s pressure.

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Interview: ESB catches up with Bermane Stiverne sparring partner Izu Ugonoh

This Saturday at the MGM, Las Vegas finds boxing in an unusual place that it hasn’t occupied in quite some time, a heavyweight title fight that has the fans talking and polarizing opinion.

Practically every man and his dog has had a crack at calling the outcome for this fight so we thought we’d get some feedback from someone close to the action, undefeated Polish heavyweight Izu Ugonoh (10-0, 8KO’s.) Izu has served as one of Bermane Stiverne’s chief sparring partners for this fight and ESB took the opportunity to ask him how the camp has gone for Bermane and who he thinks will win the fight and why.

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Roc Nation Sports Invades Boxing

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports put their stamp on Madison Square Garden Friday night with an adrenaline fueled boxing event featuring a mini-concert by rapper Fabolous. The eight-bout card showcased the Roc Nation’s boxing stable, with especially strong performances from 20-year old welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, Freddie Roach trained welterweight Chris Van Heerden and Bahamian middleweight Tureano Johnson. The music mogul Jay-Z recently added #2 pound-4-pound ranked middleweight Andre Ward to his list of 20+ fighters that he acquired in a takeover of Gary Shaw Productions.

The Garden was flush with celebrities in most directions when the third bout of the evening sounded off between welterweights Chris Van Heerden and Cecil McCalla for the vacant I.B.F. international welterweight title. Despite a title being at stake, the bout was only scheduled for 10-rounds and McCalla, 149.6 Lbs. was almost three pounds over the welterweight limit of 147 Lbs.

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Khan interested in Adrien Broner fight

Former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan says he still hasn’t given up hopes to land a big money fight against one of the huge stars Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in 2015. He’s still thinking that one or both of them may decide to face him this year so that he can prove to the world that he’s better than him.

Khan says he’d like nothing more than to get a guy like former three division world champion Adrien Broner in the ring so that he could show his skills off against the American star. There’s probably little chance that Khan can get a fight against Broner even though both guys are managed by Al Haymon.

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Arum agrees to Mayweather-Pacquiao fight taking place on May 2nd

After initially giving Floyd Mayweather Jr grieve about staging a fight between him and Manny Pacquiao on the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo on May 2nd, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has given the green light for the fight to take place on this date. However, Arum pretty much had no other choice after Pacquiao told him that he was fine with facing Mayweather on that date.

Arum didn’t want to have the fight take place on May 2nd because he felt that this was a Mexican date and saw Mayweather as poaching the date from Mexican fighters like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Some boxing fans felt that Arum’s reasons for not wanting the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to take place on that date was self-serving.

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