Kell Brook-Hector Saldivia: Brook’s final step to World title

By Peter Wells: It’s taken 8 years for the Sheffield prospect to get to the edge of a world title fight. Tommorow night Kell Brook fights in a final eliminator for the IBF Welterweight title. Brook has gone as far as stating that he will retire if he loses to Hector Saldivia at the Motorpoint arena in his hometown of Sheffield. This is likely a comment to build up his fight and over dramatise how important this bout is for his career. For some fighters chances at a world title don’t come terribly often so Brook wants to make sure he doesn’t miss his chance to book a shot at the IBF title.

Brook may have waited a while for his shot at a world title, but Saldivia has had just as long to wait. Final eliminators also haven’t gone well for the Argentinian in the past. On the 1st May 2010 he faced off against Said Ouali in an eliminator for the WBA Welterweight title. Saldivia came out strong scoring an early knockdown, but got too caught up in the moment and went down twice before the referee stepped in to end the fight. Said never got his WBA title shot, instead looking at the IBF route, before losing in 7 rounds last year to Carson Jones.

Garcia vs. Morales + Undercard: Something for everyone

By Peter Wells: With just over two months left of the year, boxing fans are suddenly being handed early christmas presents as week after week world title fights are swarming out TV’s. On saturday night Golden Boy have delivered boxing fans with 4 world title fights on one single card. And there’s something for everyone. Danny Garica headlines defending his WBC and WBA titles in a rematch with Erik Morales. Paulie Malignaggi defends his WBA Welterweight title in front of his home fans against Pablo Cesar Cano. Hot prospect, Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin takes on unbeaten WBO Middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and what could be the fight of the night, Devon Alexander challenges hard hitting IBF Welterweight champion Randall Bailey. So, what isn’t to like about this weekends super show live on Showtime.

Nonito Donaire: “I want Rigondeaux to be at his best when I fight him”

(Photo credit: Adrian Hernandez) By Joseph Herron: In less than a full calendar year’s time, four division world champion and pound for pound talent Nonito Donaire (30-1, 19 KOs) has garnered two world titles in the Super Bantamweight division, as well as the WBC Diamond belt and Ring Magazine’s distinction as the man to beat at 122 pounds.

So where does the “Filipino Flash” go from here?

After the 29 year old fighter’s brilliant performance against former WBC Champ Toshiaki Nishioka on October 13th, HBO’s Max Kellerman asked Donaire about a potential meeting with Cuban exile and two-time Olympic Gold medal winner Guillermo Rigondeaux.

While most fight fans were somewhat puzzled with Nonito’s on-air response, the southern California based fighter clarified his reply on Tuesday night’s edition of “The Pugilist KOrner”.

Zeferino Entertainment signs 2008 Olympian Luis Yanez

Photo: Stacey Verbeek, By Joseph Herron – Many people claim that one man’s disposables are another man’s treasure. One hard working promotional group based in Texas believes they’ve just struck gold with a fighter that most promoters and management groups have deemed unruly.

Earlier this week, Zeferino Entertainment reported the singing of former 2008 American Olympian Luis “Latin Legend” Yanez to a long term, exclusive promotional contract.

Guy Taylor, matchmaker and operations manager of Z Entertainment, is genuinely excited about their diamond in the rough.

“We’re thrilled to be working with a special talent like Luis Yanez,” explains the veteran matchmaker. “This kid has the makings of a long reigning world champion and the potential to bring excitement back to the Flyweight division.”

The 23 year old southpaw has an extensive amateur pedigree that not only boasts a spot on the 2008 US Olympic squad, but a stellar record of 302-16, with 87 knock-out victories as well. And not only was Yanez a captain on the US Olympic squad in Beijing, he became the only American amateur to win a Gold Medal in the Pan American Games at 106 pounds in 2007.

Erislandy Lara: “After I beat Vanes Martirosyan on Nov 10th, I will fight Canelo Alvarez and become WBC Champion”

By Joseph Herron – With just four weeks before his big title eliminator contest with undefeated Junior Middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (32-0, 20 KOs), WBC number one ranked 154 pound contender Erislandy Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs) is very excited to be a part of this highly anticipated event on HBO Boxing After Dark from the Wynn Las Vegas on November 10th.

While preparing under the tutelage of world renowned trainer Ronnie Shields in Houston, Texas, the talented Cuban fighter visited with “The Pugilist KOrner” on Tuesday night and gave his thoughts on the upcoming match-up.

“I feel great and I’m training extremely hard for this fight on November 10th,” stated Erislandy Lara. “I am very happy to be back on HBO and very excited for the opportunity to face another world class fighter like Vanes Martirosyan.”

“Everything is going well in training camp and I have three weeks left to go, but I’m ready to fight right now. I just went ten rounds easy today and I will be very prepared for the best version of Vanes Martirosyan on November 10th.”

“In addition to working with trainer Ronnie Shields, I’m currently working with strength and conditioning expert Edward Jackson and everything is going perfectly. On November 10th, I’m going to bust Vanes right in the mouth and earn my title shot against Canelo Alvarez.”

With the confidence that comes with being an elite level talent, Erislandy is happy that the WBC title eliminator will be one of the best fighters in the packed 154 pound weight division.

Karl ‘Dynamite’ Dargan: “I can’t compare myself to other Philadelphia fighters even though I am from Philly, my style’s versatile, I can do different things”

by Jenna Jay (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J) On my 179th edition of “On The Ropes” boxing radio, I had … …read more

Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero vs. Andre Berto, Nov 24th on HBO

By Joseph Herron: On Thanksgiving weekend at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, California, four division world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (30-1-1, 18 KOs) will face his toughest test to date when he defends his interim WBC Welterweight title against former 147 pound world champion Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KOs) on the biggest stage of boxing, HBO.

Despite being an avoided fighter throughout the majority of his career in the Featherweight, Super Featherweight, and Lightweight divisions, the 11 year fight veteran has patiently waited for his big moment to face a marquee fighter and a legitimate champion on a big HBO event.

Now that he finally has his golden opportunity against a two-time Welterweight Champion, “The Ghost” is at long last ready to make his mark as an elite level fighter in the sport of boxing.

Manager Luis DeCubas Jr. spoke out on this week’s edition of “The Pugilist KOrner” concerning Guerrero’s long overdue opportunity on November 24th.

“Robert is very excited for this fight,” insists the lifelong boxing proponent. “For eleven years, Robert has been working towards this moment. While fighting in the lower weight divisions, none of the other title holders wanted to take on “The Ghost” because they felt he was too big and too skilled. That’s why we ultimately made the jump up to 147.”

Haye thinks Vitali will want to fight him next year

By Michael Collins: Former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye gave an interview on Wednesday where said that an agreement has already been made with WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in 2013. Whether Haye is on the level with this is still unknown because we’re only hearing Haye say it and not Vitali.

Haye said to Sky Sports News “”The fight has already been agreed, the contract’s done – the money, the split, everything. We don’t need a new contract…In my opinion next year he will want to fight again at some stage and he will want a big fight. I’m the biggest fight out there and he knows that, he’s not stupid.”

Vitali is running for office in Ukraine and he could retire from boxing if elected. As for a fight against Haye, Vitali hasn’t been acting all that interested in fighting him despite having said in the past that he wanted to knock Haye out and improve upon the performance his younger brother IBF/IBO/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko made a year ago when he easily beat Haye by a 12 round unanimous decision in a one-sided fight.

Kell Brook putting pressure on himself to beat Salidivia on Saturday

By Marcus Richardson: Undefeated welterweight contender Kell Brook (28-0, 18 KO’s) recently chose not to take an important fight against WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley in order to fight Argentinian Hector Saldivia (41-2, 32 KO’s) in an IBF welterweight eliminator bout on October 20th at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Brook unbelievably chose not to fight Bradley for his WBO title just so that Brook could fight in risky IBF eliminator with the winner of that fight getting a shot against the winner of this Saturday’s fight between Randall Bailey and Devon Alexander.

Brook is talking about wanting to retire if he doesn’t win this fight on Saturday night against Saldivia. Of course, Brook obviously wouldn’t retire if he were to get beaten by Saldivia and even if he did retire, it would likely be one of those boxing retirements that mean absolutely nothing because the fighter or fighters often come back months later out of boredom or a need for money.

Brook said to thesun.co.uk “People keep saying I have talent, so if I can’t get rid of guys like Saldivia then I don’t deserve to be at this level.”

Nonito Donaire…you have just entered the “Pacquiao Zone”

By Joseph Herron – Since bursting onto the big stage of boxing with one crushing left hook to the chin of the most feared Flyweight in the world circa 2007, Nonito Donaire has been one of the most dominant fighters in boxing. With lightning fast reflexes and freakish power for a lower weight division fighter, “The Filipino Flash” has made twenty nine consecutive victories look like an easy month at the office.

But like many dominant fighters of years past, Nonito Donaire currently finds himself in somewhat of a boxing quandary.

It seems the 29 year old fighter’s reputation has preceded his presence in the ring since placing a dent in the face of Fernando Montiel on HBO last year; not only to his opposition, but to the fans of boxing as well.

Since destroying the three division world champion on February 19th, 2011, most of Nonito’s opponents have receded into a timid and unwilling shell while standing in the ring with the pound for pound fighter. Although it’s an amazing testament to the talents of the proud Filipino pugilist, it doesn’t make for a very eventful evening of boxing.

After Donaire’s third championship victory in the Super Bantamweight division on Saturday, October 13th, his opponent admitted that his reluctance in the ring was intentional.

“The difference in the fight was the speed and I had to be careful,” stated Toshiaki Nishioka. “I had never faced a fighter with the speed of Donaire.”