Stevenson-Fonfara Preview: Some Toast Before The Main Course

Stevenson-Fonfara Preview: Some Toast Before The Main Course

Time and again, boxing fans have watched champions dispense with challengers in a manner that makes them wonder why these fighters were presented with the opportunity to challenge in the first place. Our natural impulse in that situation is to question the contender’s ability and accomplishments; and to declare that he wasn’t deserving of the chance he was given.

To be fair, that opinion is often justified. Let’s face it- we’ve all watched fighters receive a title shot simply because they were connected to the right people, or because they happened to be in the right place at the right time. We’ve all watched these types of fighters fail miserably in their attempt to dethrone a reigning title holder; and have their challenge quashed quickly and seemingly without much effort provided by the champion in question. We’ve watched this happen more than once, so it’s completely understandable for to be a bit cynical when it comes to rating the challenger’s worth as a fighter.

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Stevenson vs. Fonfara: In one year ‘Superman’ goes from overnight Superstar to boxing fans Kryptonite

Stevenson vs. Fonfara: In one year ‘Superman’ goes from overnight Superstar to boxing fans Kryptonite

Oh what difference a year can make as Adonis Stevenson now setting his sights on the Legend of Longevity with dollar signs and legacy in mind. Much to the chagrin of hardcore fans after the ground work had already been laid out building anticipation for a fight with powerful puncher Sergei Kovalev.

One can hardly blame boxing fans who routinely get hosed year in a year out for getting angry at the outcome. But to blame just Stevenson or Al Haymon would not be fair either.

The blame can also be spread to HBO in a variety of ways for not closing the deal with Stevenson’s signature before the late November card, not kicking in another 100k for this fight, and for booting Golden Boy off their network in the first place. Don’t get me wrong both Golden Boy and HBO shoulder the blame for their split but the end result has only added fuel to the raging fire.

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Miguel Cotto Interview Transcript

Miguel Cotto Interview Transcript

TODD duBOEF: I would like to welcome everyone to Miguel’s conference call. This fight is one we have all been waiting for. Obviously Miguel wants to show time and time again how great New York is and how passionate he is for the fans there and how he has created a great brand with the Puerto Ricans on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. But more importantly he has a goal to become the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four different divisions. In regards to the event, I’m not going to talk about Miguel and how he feels and how he is training – I’ll let Freddie and Miguel do that. Let’s talk about the event. As we went on sale, The Garden told us it was the fastest selling sporting event it has had in many years. The demand has been incredible. The match is right. The fans are behind both Sergio and Miguel and we know that The Garden is going to be electric the night of June 7. So, let’s go to Freddie and Miguel…

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Chris Eubank on Chris Eubank Junior: “He beats Golovkin now”

Tonight on Sky Sports’ Ringside show – on a Froch-Groves II preview special – former middleweight king Chris Eubank was a guest, along with his son, unbeaten 15-0 pro talent Chris Eubnak Junior. Junior spoke of his “countless rounds” of sparring with George Groves and of his hard sparring with Carl Froch. Eubank said that, out of respect for both fighters, he would not give a pre-fight prediction on the rapidly approaching May 31st rematch; but he and his father (his father mostly) were not shy when it came to making predictions on Eubank Junior’s own career.

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Froch-Groves 2: Pushing barriers, planting seeds

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A first preemptive seed planted in the referee’s mind for their mega-fight, George Groves’s trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick has drawn attention to Carl Froch’s not-so-nice line in the barge and the rabbit punch. But if Groves really wants a clean fight, all he has to do is box from distance and Froch will have it all to do.

George Groves understands his attempt to ridicule Froch on the Ringside show as a continuation of war by other means and contemplation of his role as psychological ’bully’ even sprang a faintly rueful smile. With the self-possession of an assassin that is about him always, Groves assures us that he harbors no ill-will once a fight is over. Cold composure, as his former trainer Adam Booth defines it. Clinical, scientific, precise. He views Froch as much too under the sway of brute feeling. The merest smuggled emotion for Groves is a crutch in the ring.

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HBO Boxing After Dark Returns May 31st – Froch/Groves II, Donaire/Vetyeka

HBO Boxing After Dark Returns May 31st - Froch/Groves II, Donaire/Vetyeka

American boxing fans can catch a highly anticipated UK rematch and a title fight from Macau when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: CARL FROCH VS. GEORGE GROVES II AND SIMPIWE VETYEKA VS. NONITO DONAIRE is seen SATURDAY, MAY 31 at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team will be calling both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 1 (8:30 a.m.) and 3 (1:00 a.m.)– HBO2 playdates: June 1 (3:15 p.m.) and 2 (11:00 p.m.)

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Stevenson vs. Fonfara Final Press Conference Quotes

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NEW YORK (May 21, 2014) – Andrzej Fonfara eyed WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Adonis Stevenson’s title belt during Wednesday’s final press conference at Casino de Montreal, the look of a man eager and confident heading into the biggest fight of his boxing career.

Fonfara will challenge Stevenson for the WBC crown in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, this Saturday, May 24, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

“This is not my first time as an underdog,” Fonfara said. “I’ve proved people wrong before and I’ll do it again.”

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Ghislain Maduma is ready to shake up the Lightweight Division

Undefeated lightweight contender, Ghislain “Mani” Maduma (16-0, 10KOs) is potentially one bout away from fighting International Boxing Federation (IBF) Champion, Miguel Vazquez; however, before this happens, he needs to defeat the tough “Mighty” Kevin Mitchell (37-2, 27KOs) in their lightweight title eliminator on May 31st on the undercard of the Carl Froch v. George Groves matchup at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

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Avoided Fighters: A Sign of Boxing’s Decline

Avoided Fighters: A Sign of Boxing's Decline

When talking with a friend of mine; a serious boxing-head, the conversation managed to swing around to how Andre ‘Son of God’ Ward (27-0-0) is still marginalized despite garnering quite glowing praise from critics around the world. We got on to this subject as we were discussing the upcoming super-middleweight clash between ‘Saint’ George Groves (19-1-0) and Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch (32-2-0), and how the British public’s interest in the fight had greatly elevated the perceived status of the fight; already supplemented by the fact that there are two World titles on the line. Now, as a massive George Groves fan, I am delighted that he was made mandatory for the IBF title and has been successful in forcing a rematch; the question that lingers in my head is why these two fighters are having two title fights in the space of a year, whilst Ward languishes.

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Sergio Martinez media conference call quick quotes

Sergio Martinez media conference call quick quotes

NEW YORK, NY / MIAMI FL (5/20/14) – World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son, SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTÍNEZ, along with promoter Lou DiBella, held an international media conference all earlier today in anticipation of his upcoming world title defense and the most eagerly anticipated boxing event of 2014 against three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico, MIGUEL COTTO.

Below are a few quick notes from the call. A complete transcript to follow.

SERGIO MARTINEZ: My knee is feeling great and I have been running in the mornings. I haven’t felt this good in a very long time.

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