Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez Decides to Continue Boxing Career

After lengthy discussions with members of his team, now-former WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez has decided to continue his boxing career.

Determined to return and erase the terrible memory of what happened against fellow-great Miguel Cotto in June, 39-year-old Martinez will next face a top-10 contender with the goal of recapturing his world title.

“Miguel De Pablos (Business Manager) and I met with Sergio at his home in Madrid and he says he is 100% healthy and ready to do what it takes to return to the very top of boxing,” said Martinez advisor Sampson Lewkowicz.

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Guillermo Rigondeaux destroys Sod Kokietgym inside a round (with a little controversy thrown in!)

Today in Macao, WBA and WBO super-bantamweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux scored a devastating 1st-round KO over the experienced and usually very durable Sod Kokietgym of Thailand. The incredibly gifted 33-year-old Cuban southpaw improved to 14-0(9) with the quick, 1-minute 44-seconds win. 37-year-old Sod, also a southpaw, fell to 63-3-1(28).

Expected by just about everyone to win either late on or via somewhat dull decision (the knock on Rigondeaux is that he is defensive minded and boring to watch), the former two-time Olympic gold medallist instead put on a show of power punching. Before today’s fight – perhaps angry at having been rejected by a certain cable T.V giant who refused to take his most recent fight – Rigondeaux promised he’d be more explosive against Sod. The Cuban delivered.

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The case against the Boxing Purists

Boxing purists are a group of fans that like nothing better than to fawn over the defensive skills and ‘tactical mastery’ of fighters who most normal fans would simply describe as boring. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with appreciating the defensive aspects of the sport, boxing purists often look down on aggressive, come forward fighters who try to force the action as being one dimensional and lacking in genuine boxing skills.

Like a bunch of snooty College Professors they usually regard ‘lefty’ Southpaws to be inherently superior to Orthodox fighters, a belief which is as baseless as it is predictable. Purists are also some of the most vocal whiners and complainers when a close decision does not go their way and it is time their charges were rebuked.

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Golovkin-Geale conference call transcript

TOM LOEFFLER: We are definitely excited about this event. I would like to thank some of the partners that we have for this event. Gary Shaw was very instrumental as Daniel Geale’s promoter for which we have a great-co-feature for this card at Madison Square Garden, the World’s Most Famous Arena, the Mecca of Boxing. We are very excited to be going into the big room for this fight. Without HBO and their financial support, we wouldn’t be able to put an event like this together. This is clearly the biggest test, the biggest name and the most experienced person that has been willing to get in the ring with Gennady, so far in his career. Geale is a two-time world champion – he won two world championship titles over in Germany, which is not the easiest thing to do. He beat two great fighters in Sturm and Stieglitz and the credentials he brings to the ring are impressive. We want to thank Gary and Team Geale for accepting the challenge. Gennady has been labeled as the fastest rising star in boxing and brings excitement every time he gets into the ring.

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How many people will order PPV to see Manny Pacquiao chase after Chris Algieri?

While this type of question wouldn’t be a discussion to be had during Pacquiao’s peak years, his choice of opponents as well as his former dominating ring generalship have been on a decline, taking away from the thrill and exhilaration of his fights. In short, the action is simply no longer the same.

Of course Pacquiao is still one of the top fighters in the sport, and underestimating him will land one on the canvas.

But the anticipation of a raw knockout, a nonstop freight train style of offense that Pacquiao used to display, is now missing, making the PPV all about paying for the name, rather than the fireworks.

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“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” Press Tour Wraps Up In Los Angeles – Press Conference Quotes

Eleven-time world champion Floyd Mayweather and former welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana held their fifth and final announcement press conference in Pershing Square in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday to formally discuss their highly anticipated rematch taking place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Thursday’s press event in Los Angeles concluded a whirlwind five-city, open-to-the-public promotional tour that saw the fighters visit the boxing hotbeds of New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Antonio.

With Mayweather speaking at the podium, a member of Maidana’s team was throwing t-shirts into the pro-Argentine crowd in an attempt to take the attention away from Mayweather. Numerous Argentinian flags waved in the air on a picture perfect afternoon that also happened to be Maidana’s 31st birthday.

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Joshua Clottey, Canelo’s next challenge

Former WBA/WBC light middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) looked competitive during his bout with Erislandy Lara at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. So much that he was awarded a 12 round controversial split decision over the Cuban champion in their catch-weight fight at 155 pounds, and solidifying himself as the best fighter at Jr. Welterweight.

After dealing with what most consider his “toughest opponent”, Alvarez is already seeking his next opponent. The majority of the boxing world is clamoring for a super fight with Middleweight Champion Miguel Cotto. However, if things don’t work out they way we want them to, several options are available for the young red headed star.

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Bernard Hopkins says he wants Kovalev in November and then Stevenson next year: is B-Hop pushing his luck?

Bernard Hopkins is a living legend and he has been upsetting odds, and much younger fighters, for a long time now. In fact, Hopkins is one of those fighters who seems to have been around forever. Hopkins, however, is not like any other fighter today, or of the last 30, maybe even 40 or more years. A true phenomenon who has made “age means nothing to me” his rallying cry for so long now, B-Hop, or “The Alien,” or whatever you want to call the 49-year-old all time great, has outlined for Ring Magazine’s web site his plans for this year and next year.

At a time when nearly all fighters anywhere close to his age are long into retirement, Hopkins is planning on taking on the two killers, or at least killer punchers, of his weight class. Hopkins told Ring how he and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy are currently in talks with Kathy Duva of Main Events, the subject of their talks being a Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev fight to take place in New York, on HBO, on November 8th. There’s more: Hopkins says that after he’s beaten Kovalev, he wants to fight Adonis Stevenson “after I’ve turned 50.” For the record, Hopkins hit his half century in January of 2015.

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Maidana rudely shoves Mayweather during stare down

Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) lost his cool on Tuesday during a stare down with WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KOs) by twice shoving him hard when the two of them came face to face during their press event for Mayhem on PPV at six flags Fiesta Texas.

Mayweather seemed genuinely shocked at being shoved by Maidana, and then gave him an even bigger shove that drove Maidana clear across the stage. Maidana came back and shoved Mayweather a final time as if to even the score. While some people will no doubt this this was a staged event, it didn’t look that way to me.

Mayweather looked angry that Maidana chose to bully him on stage by shoving him hard when he was just trying to do a simple stare down with the Argentinian fighter. For whatever reason Maidana didn’t look like he wanted any part of Mayweather crowding him.

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Pacquiao vs Algieri on HBO PPV on November 22nd

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is rolling the dice by matching Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO’s) against little known college-educated Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs) on November 22nd on HBO pay-per-view from the Venetian Casino & Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China. Arum ironed out the deal on Tuesday with Algieri’s promoters Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pellulo, and he says it was an easy fight for him to make in terms of negotiations.

Arum sees the storyline for this fight being an interesting one given that Algieri has a Master’s degree and plans on attending medical school in the near future once his boxing career is over.

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