David Price – ‘I wanted to stay patient’

In an interview with IFL TV, former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price defended his performance in stopping Costa Jr in the sixth round in Berlin.

He was asked if he felt that he was too cautious in the first part of the fight. Many felt that Price was getting in rounds against a guy who was there for the taking and when given a big chance to shine like this Price should have shown himself to be a better fighter than he was on the night. Price replied to this by saying that he couldn’t listen to the people who would have him going in and taking risks from the first round. He wanted to box behind the jab, he wanted to build his confidence and get some rounds in, he wanted to wait for an opportunity before opening up the offence and turning up the pace, and to his credit when he found that opportunity he was brutally efficient.

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Martin Murray reacts to stoppage defeat at the hands of Gennady Golovkin

‘First time I have been properly beat, and first time I have been stopped.’

In an interview with IFL TV after his fight with triple G it was obvious the disapointment that Martin Murray was feeling. He put in a spirited effort and did a lot more than many thought he was capable, but eventually was beaten by the king of the Middleweight division.

Murray showed good sportsmanship in saying it was a pleasure to share the ring with such a good fighter, but felt as though there was nothing more he could do in the ring to pull off the upset. Murray discussed the fact that in his career he had never been put down by any head or bodyshot and dealing with that for the first time in his career, three times in the fight was tough.

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Does anyone really want to watch Mayweather vs Pacquaio?

The recently officially announced Mayweather vs Pacquaio fight has already, like a well-used pick up line on Tinder, started receiving mixed feelings. Some folks are calling it the fight for a generation – two of the best non-British fighters finally going at it to see which one is the greatest in boxing – whilst others have looked on, gazing up to the snowy British skies and wondering if they really want to watch two old men well past their sell by dates fight each other. Undoubtedly this fight would have been relevant in boxing and worldwide events a few years ago (try six) but now it is clearly overshadowed by much more current fighters and topics of interest such as Tyson Fury, UKIP and Richard Blackwood starring in Eastenders.

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Abel Sanchez – Canelo doesn’t last 8, Cotto won’t go 5 with GGG

Abel Sanchez, the trainer for rising star and long time champ Gennady Golovkin has a lot of words for his fighter when discussing the biggest fights in the sport. This interview took place just prior to the Murray fight and Sanchez was saying it would be good for Golovkin to go the full 12 in preparation for these super fights. That fight ended up going 11 rounds, which is the longest of Golovkins career and if Sanchez is correct in his estimates then Murray lasted longer than either Cotto or Alvarez would.

I do see where Sanchez is coming from with these statements.

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Abraham defeats Smith; Price defeats Costa Junior

WBO 168 pound champion Arthur Abraham (42-4, 28 KOs) closed the book on the Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KOs) in handing him his fifth career loss in beating him by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany. Smith fought Abraham to a standstill in the first three rounds of the fight, but in the 4th, Abraham hurt Smith a right hand that caused him to lose his legs for a second.

Smith came back later and had a good round in the 6th after hurting Abraham with a beautiful left to the body. But instead of continuing to go to the body in the remainder of the fight, Smith wasted his efforts in throwing shots into the high guard of Abraham. Those shots were blocked, and this enabled Abraham to dominate from the 7th round. The final judges’ scores were 116-112, 117-111, and 117-111.

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Golovkin destroys Murray; Fury defeats Rudenko

Britain’s Martin Murray (29-2-1, 12 KOs) gave it a good try tonight in battling WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (32-0, 29 KOs) hard for 10 rounds, but in the 11th round, Golovkin battered a bruised and bleeding Murray until the fight was stopped by referee Luis Pabon at the Salle des Étoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Murray looked a lot bigger than Golovkin tonight, and that might be one of the reasons why he was able to survive for so long. Murray looked at least 180 pounds, and he appeared to have a significant weight advantage over Golovkin. The fight was like watching a talented middleweight take on a light heavyweight or a small cruiserweight without power.

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Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao: Will training differ for the big fight?

Most fighters and their coaches cater their training and strategy to best increase their change of defeating their opposition. Many boxing trainers also spend a considerable amount of time watching videos, fishing for a tell that they might be able to take an advantage of.

Some fighters on the other hand, have had enough time in the ring to let their experience and ring IQ guide them in the right direction. From the first bell they feel out their opponent, while their corner is looking for flaws and repetitions.

For Floyd Mayweather Jr., who claims that he never takes the time to review the tapes, leaving it to his trainer, a bout against Manny Pacquiao might be a good reason to get more involved.

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Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Official!

– Floyd Mayweather: What the world has been waiting for has arrived. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May … continue

Abraham/Smith II: This time Smith knows he can win

photo by S. Heger – Paul Smith, 35-4 (20KO’s), travels back across enemy lines tonight when he faces WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham, 41-4 (28KO’s), in Berlin.

It’s been 6 months since the absorbing first bout was marred by some confusing scorecards and in the case of Fernando Laguna’s 119-109 sheet – comical. But, the right decision has been arrived upon and the challenger aims to take full advantage.

“I always thought that this rematch would come. I would be lying if I didn’t think that it might not come off for one reason or another, the only doubt I had really was that he wouldn’t want the fight as he knows that he was in a hard and close fight.

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Martin Murray: Still paying his dues

In an era rich in superfluous World title variations the term ‘paying your dues’ just doesn’t carry the same weight as it once did.

Unless of course you’re referring to fighters like Martin Murray, 29-1-1 (12KO’s), who today challenges arguably the most feared man in boxing – Gennady Golovkin, 31-0 (28KO’s) – in Monte Carlo.

It’s Murray’s third World title tilt and his most difficult to date. To say that about a man whose previous attempts came against Felix Sturm in Germany and Sergio Martinez in Argentina illustrates the enormity of the task at hand.

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