For the second and possibly the last time IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KO’s) … continue
The crowd roared as if there might be an upset in the process. But Joshua fired back with a flurry of punches that got Legg to back off. But Legg was able to hit Joshua with another big left hook to the head that snapped his back. Joshua took the punch well, and he came forward to hit Legg with a right uppercut to drop him. Legg tried his best to get up from the knockdown, but the referee counted to 10 and the fight was stopped.
Donaire was cut over the left eye at the end of the 1st round from what the referee ruled was a clash of heads. But in looking at the replay of where the cut occurred there was no head clash where contact was made by Donaire’s left eye. Instead it was a right hand from Vetyeka that hit Donaire on his left eye, causing him to go down on all fours on the canvas.
DETROIT– In front of a loud and spirited crowd at Cobo Hall, middleweight Tony Harrison (15-0), made easy work of veteran Bronco McKart (56-11-1). Harrison knocked down McKart three times in the first round and veteran referee Sam Williams stopped the contest. In post fight celebrations, Harrison showed thanks for his spiritual beliefs, thanked and remembered Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Steward and paid homage to his grandfather, Henry Hank. Harrison then rejoiced with and thanked his coaches and support team. Hanks had fought at Cobo Arena in 1961.
Harrison, 23, used powerful lefts to disable McKart. “I didn’t expect him to come at me so fast,” said Harrison. “I thank everyone in Detroit for the support.”
Alexander Povetkin (27-1, 19 KO’s) administered a beating to a badly over-matched Manuel Charr (26-2, 15 KO’s) on Friday night in winning by a 7th round knockout at the Luzhniki, in Moscow, Russia. Povetkin hit Charr with a left uppercut that split his guard in the 7th.
Povetkin then followed up with a three punch combination that knocked Charr down flat. The last punch of the combination was a right hand that knocked Charr’s head sideways from the impact. Charr was already falling at the time and completely defenseless and badly hurt, but Povetkin looked like he didn’t want to take any chances that Charr might get back up.
Povetkin really had his way in this fight with his good footwork and combinations on the inside. He did a good job of planting himself in close to Charr and working him over with body and head shots.
The Grudge, the Golden boys and the Little Stars
Over 75 years since the last time 80 000 people gathered to watch a boxing fight in the UK, the Carl Froch vs George Groves rematch is undeniably a special event.
The headline event has every ingredient required to make it worthy of such an epic sporting occasion. However, just to ensure the night cannot fail, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom promotions has put on a fantastic undercard too.
In Carl Froch vs George Groves we have old vs young, the proven veteran against the up-and-coming contender and north vs south, a mix which has captured the imagination of the nation and the entire boxing world.
Photo by HBO/Ed Mulholland – One of the biggest fights in British boxing history will take place tomorrow, as bitter super-middleweight rivals Carl Froch and George Groves will go at it in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley. Currently, seemingly everyone is talking about the fight and who will win.
Here, eight figures from the boxing world give their pre-fight predictions:
Harold “The Shadow” Knight, former co-trainer of Lennox Lewis and current co-trainer of Zhang Zhilei:
“I’m going with Froch, even though I think Groves will test Froch and give him a competitive fight. Experience and the grit and toughness Froch has will see him keeping his titles.”
If no fight, it’s a given Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. loses more money than Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Money took care of that little item by getting Manny to agree to take less. There’s no denying both fighters are great, and it’s a surety both are going to be in the Boxing Hall(s) of Fame. If no fight, though, fans and the media suffer too, because they are left with the unresolved question “Who would have won?”
That question will become like a canker, a blight on boxing. Eventually, though, it will dissipate and make ardent fans in each camp apathetic. The open ended debate will surface less and less, and become something like the occasional….Would Gene Tunney have beaten Jack Dempsey without benefit of the “Long Count”? Or, Did Jack Johnson take a dive in his loss to Jess Willard?” How about the question that surfaced about a splash many heard in Lewiston, Maine when Liston hit the canvas after being hit by Ali’s phantom punch? Those front page news events sooner or later fade away. More to the point…..Who would have won if Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta and Rocky Graziano fought? Or, back to….. Would Dempsey have beaten Harry Wills? In the present day….How about Joe Calzaghe vs. Andre S.O.G. Ward?
Two noble men battle in the modern day coliseum of Wembley Stadium for historic supremacy. The reigning King Carl Froch from Nottingham earned his kingship at war, with the blood running through his body from a long line of warriors representing proudly out of the house of Froch.
Prince George of London is plotting his revenge after claims of robbery by way of referee, being the sole the reason for his demise. The pouting Prince was jeered and booed on his way into the ring last November and received a hero’s exit on the way out.
With bated breath, the entire boxing world is looking forward to the eagerly anticipated rematch between Carl Froch and George Groves. The sheer energy and excitement that will undoubtedly be unleashed by 80,000 screaming British fans is so electric it can practically be felt already. Their first encounter was incredible, and there is every reason to believe that this time the action will be every bit as intense, with the possibility of even exceeding the former’s fireworks. The atmosphere being generated is so fiery and profound and explosive, that it is totally reminiscent of the mood often created during the lead-up for fights involving the soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee, Joe Calzaghe, the greatest super middleweight boxing has ever known. Makes you kind of wonder how Joe Calzaghe would do if he was fighting today at or near his best?