Maidana likes being the underdog for Mayweather fight

WBA welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KO’s) isn’t being given much of a chance to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26 KO’s) in their May 3rd fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, but this is the way that Maidana likes it. He says he likes it when fans doubt him, and when he’s being brought in to a fight where he’s expected to lose, as he is with the one against Mayweather at the MGM Grand.

“He [Maidana] likes to be the underdog. He likes when he’s being brought to get beat. To prove them wrong.” His trainer Robert Garcia said to esnewsreporting. “And he plans on doing it one more time.”

continue

Adonis Stevenson now saying he wants Kovalev fight

Adonis Stevenson came out of the woodwork last night following WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev’s 7th round knockout win over Cedric Agnew to tell him via twitter that he’s very interested in taking him on now and suggesting that he contact his promoter to make the fight happen. Stevenson said that he felt that Kovalev looked slow against Agnew last night and that his defense was nonexistent.

Stevenson’s sudden interest in the Kovalev fight is good news in theory for boxing fans, but it’s not realistic that a fight between them can actually take place due to Stevenson signing a contract with Showtime. Kovalev is still locked up in a long term contract with HBO, and there’s no way that either of them can fight each other until their contracts expire.

continue

Kovalev Grinds Down Agnew; Warns Light Heavyweight Division to “Stay in Shape!”

By Justin Jones & Paul “Paparazzi” Jones-, Photo © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones — Atlantic City, NJ — Russian WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs) continued his winning ways on Saturday night at the Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City) by punishing previously unbeaten Cedric “L.O.W.” Agnew (26-1, 13 KOs) over seven rounds. A devastating left hook to Agnew’s gut sealed the deal in the seventh round, dropping the challenger to his knees as he winced in pain. Shortly thereafter, the referee stopped the bout when Agnew failed to beat the count.

“I hit him and hurt him with the same shot in the fourth or fifth round, so I knew he felt my punch,” said Kovalev. “I knew once I landed the left hand to the liver (in the seventh round) that he was done.”

continue

Results from Kovalev-Agnew at Boardwalk Hall

(Photo Credit: Rich Graessle/Main Events) Atlantic City, NJ: In front of a packed house at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ the Russian Wrecking Ball Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KOs)* knocked out Cedric “L.O.W.” Agnew (26-1, 13 KOs) in seventh round to retain his WBO Light Heavyweight belt live on HBO Boxing After Dark. The Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall shook as Krusher made his entrance. Michael Buffer said of these two undefeated fighters as he announced the fight, “Someone’s 0 has got to go!”

Both fighters were feeling each other out early in the bout while the chants of “USA” came from the nearly sold-out crowd in AC. Agnew, normally a right handed fighter, came out boxing southpaw. Krusher knocked down Agnew just as the bell rang in the second round. Kovalev suffered a cut under his right eye in the fourth. Agnew took Kovalev deeper than he has gone in his last six fights but could not defeat him. Kovalev won via TKO 0:58 into the seventh round. The final punch total: Kovalev 107 of 402 and Agnew 31 for 109.

continue

Kovalev stops Agnew; Dulorme decisions Mayfield

WBO light heavyweight Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 KO’s) gave Cedric Agnew (26-1, 13 KO’s) a methodical beating en route to halting him in the 7th round tonight with a left jab to the body at The Ballroom, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Referee Samuel Viruet stopped the fight at 0:57 of the 7th.

Agnew did a good job of covering up, and landing some nice shots in the fight. However, the punishing affects of Kovalev’s shots sapped all the energy out of Agnew by the 6th round, and he was able to put him on the canvas early in the round.

continue

Maidana must rough up Mayweather to win

WBA welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KO’s) is going to need to throw the rule book out the window on May 3rd for him to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26 KO’s) in their pay per view clash on Showtime from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maidana is going to need to do everything he can to win this fight, including bending the rules in order to make give himself a chance to win.

Maidana doesn’t match up in the speed department or the skills with Mayweather. He also doesn’t have Mayweather’s vast experience both as a professional and as an amateur. Maidana has a couple of things going for him in this fight and that’s his power and his rough house style of fighting.

continue

Bradley sticking with the belief that Pacquiao doesn’t have it anymore

WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (31-0, 12 KO’s) seems to be trying to whip his opponent Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) into a mad frenzy for their fight next month on April 12th by saying to anyone willing to listen that Pacquiao no longer has the same fire that he once did years ago.

Bradley has told this even to Pacquiao’s face during their Face Off with Max Kellerman on HBO, and he appears to be intent on making Pacquiao so angry that he’ll come out quickly on April 12th trying to score a knockout. Bradley must feel like he’ll be able to keep from getting hit with Pacquiao’s shots so that he can get a decision win over him. There’s no other reason why Bradley would want to be pointing out the flaws in Pacquiao’s game.

continue

Chavez Jr-Golovkin fight to have $1 million weight penalty for both fighters

WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KO’s) now has a big reason for him to make weight for his proposed July 19th fight against middleweight Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) for their fight at 168 pounds on HBO. If Chavez Jr. fails to make weight, it’s going to cost him $1 million. Chavez Jr. agreed to the weight penalty on Friday.

The penalty also applies to Golovkin if he can’t make the 168lb, but he probably won’t struggle with the weight. It’s Chavez Jr. who is built like a cruiserweight, and who clearly is already having problems making weight for his fights at super middleweight despite having moved up from the middleweight division only last year. It seems likely that Chavez Jr. will need to make a move to the light heavyweight division in the near future if he doesn’t want to end up losing fights due to him being weigh-drained.

continue

April 12 And May 3: Days Of Infamy For Boxing

What liberated people would ignore an injustice, gladly bear its yoke and willingly suffer its injuries by doing nothing? If scoundrels think they are free to do what they’re doing in defiance of reason and what is right, can’t we be at liberty to do what’s right and reasonable in defiance of the baseness of what they’ve been doing?

continue

Amir Khan, Luis Collazo media interview transcript

Kelly Swanson

I’m going to go ahead and call this media conference call today the second moment of “THE MOMENT” for a fight that was announced this week. We have Amir “King” Khan and also Luis Collazo joining us today, along with Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions, and Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Showtime. So, very exciting, and I’m going to turn it over to the participants and start with Richard Schaefer, who will make the introductions.

continue