Samuel Peter out of Super-8 Heavyweight Tournament, an offer is put to Johnathon Banks to take part

The full line-up is almost complete for the June 4th “Super-8” heavyweight tournament that will take place in New Zealand. According to a report in The New Zealand Herald, former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter is out, but Wladimir Klitschko trainer and top-ranked heavy Johnathon Banks has been given an offer to take part.

Peter, who would likely have been one of the most attractive/intriguing names had he boxed in the tournament, injured his calf and says fighting three times in one night (as per the formula of the tournament) is “too risky.” As a result of Peter’s withdrawal, Kiwi heavyweight Anthony Nansen has stepped in, taking on what he calls a “life-changing opportunity.”

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Canelo Alvarez vs Erislandy Lara on July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

The two best junior middleweights in the world will meet to decide 154-pound supremacy Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez will square off against WBA Junior Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara in a 12-round bout. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV.

Lara was originally scheduled to defend his WBA title against Ishe Smith on Friday, May 2 in Las Vegas to kickoff Cinco de Mayo Weekend withdrew from the fight to face Canelo.

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Nathan Cleverly: I’ll be at my best at Cruiserweight

Nathan Cleverly makes his Cruiserweight debut against Sean Corbin at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on May 17, live on Sky Sports – and the Welsh star promises to pack a punch at his new weight. Cleverly moves up from Light Heavyweight for the first time against the Guyanese puncher and the former WBO champion returns to the scene of his final fight at Light Heavyweight against big-hitting Russian Sergey Kovalev in August, and says he is ready to show that he’ll have extra power up at 200lbs.

“I can still make Light Heavyweight – but there’s a difference between making the weight and performing at my best at the weight,” said Cleverly. “There’s no way I can perform at my best at 12st 7lbs. My body fat percentage is too low and I feel sluggish when I try to get down to the weight, my mouth gets dry and my legs get heavy.

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Title Fight Spoiled by Panicked Exit

LAS VEGAS– The battalion chief for the Clark County Fire Department, Erik Poleski, said 24 people were taken to Las Vegas area hospitals after a panicked crowd stormed out the doors of the MGM’s Grand Garden arena.

This was just after the WBC/WBA welterweight (147 pounds) unification title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Maidana had just finished at the venue. It was reported that over 60 people were injured after a rush to leave the arena. Some exits were found to be closed and leaving spectators were funneled to certain directions of egress.

The Las Vegas police confirmed reports of a loud bang in the area that probably led to spectators stampeding out. The bang was caused by a temporary wall that fell down near the adjacent food court, Poleski added. The bulk of the medical transports were for minor injuries like cuts, and sprains, as well as leg and back injuries. “Most of the injured seemed to be from traumas associated with being stepped on,” said Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa.

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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: A Look Back at Mayweather vs Maidana, A Measurement of the ‘New’ Amir Khan, & a Look at the Same Old Adrien Broner!!!

Greg H. (Bronx, NYC): Going into the Maidana fight I thought Floyd Mayweather was in for an easy night, but I know you felt it would be tough from the beginning. What were your thoughts about both of their performance? And do you think a rematch is warranted?

Vivek W. (ESB): From the moment this fight was signed, I felt we would get precisely the fight we saw at the end of the night. I was shocked at the odds when they were initially announced, and I was even more shocked to see that they ballooned to the point in which they did by fight night (12:1). I don’t claim to know boxing any better than the next man, but what I learned once again is that the countless hours of film study in the still of the night does make a difference when giving educated feedback. Mayweather has always performed with a certain level of genius; but my logic from day one was that there was no way a precision based puncher who throws one shot at a time could get a decisive victory over a fighter who throws 70 punches per round with power at the end of each one.

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Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Wins Battle With Marcos Maidana

Marcos Rene “El Chino” Maidana might not have been the best opponent Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. has ever faced, but he certainly proved to be his toughest. Often times that is said about Maidana. His awkward style turns fights into armed conflicts. He throws buzz bombs, rockets, and mortar shots. His overhand right is the most fun to watch. It should be called an overhead right, because It resembles a mortar round. It travels high up and over, and then bombs away as it decends. If Money or TBE, as he now prefers, would have pulled back from that punch saturday night at the MGM Grand, there would have been an explosion, and his first defeat might have resulted. Instead, TBE intelligently stayed inside the punch, so at worst it would carom off the back of his dome or just whiz by.

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Professional Boxing: Theatre of the Unexpected

As this past Saturday nights “The Moment” boxing show SLOWLY fades into history, I couldn’t help but notice how ironic the outcomes turned out to be. Redemption for a couple of main event fighters, upward mobility and the highest accolades for another. For the main guy, even though he won the fight (I scored it 115-113 for Mayweather), a lot of questions are being asked.

Has Mayweather’s defensive code been broken, is father time finally catching up with the P4P Picasso, will Mayweather RETIRE or give Marcos Maidana the rightful rematch he deserves? Will Mayweather even complete the final 3-fights on his Showtime deal?

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Debate rages on over Mayweather-Maidana result; De La Hoya says Mayweather should be 43-3 now!

The arguments continue, two days on from the unexpectedly great action fight, over who actually won on Saturday night in Las Vegas: Floyd Mayweather or Marcos Maidana. Reading what people have had to say on this particular web site, it’s clear the majority of fans feel Maidana – who lost by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 and was given a drawn verdict of 114-114 on the third official card – deserved a narrow victory.

Watching the fight again (something the three judges do not have the benefit of doing of course) I was surprised to see a different fight from the one I watched, somewhat blurry eyed (at approx 5a.m UK time, having stayed up all night) as it unfolded live. Initially, I had Mayweather a clear 117-112 winner. Watching again, I had it much closer – with Mayweather prevailing by winning the following rounds: 2, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, with the 3rd even. I gave Maidana the following rounds: 1, 4, 5, 8 and 12, with the 3rd even. Second time around I had it 6-5-1 for Mayweather.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. wins controversial and tough win over Marcos Maidana

The judges have decided that Floyd Mayweather Jr. (46-0, 26 KOs) is the WBA and WBC welterweight … continue

Muhammad Ali wants Mayweather to fight Pacquiao

Much of boxing made a mistake underestimating the capability of the underdog champion to beat a pound-for-pound god. Floyd Mayweather Jr. must have realized he committed an equally big mistake handpicking the Argentine assault guru, Marcos Maidana.

Heavy favorite Mayweather lost yesterday many times over and in ways more than one even though the bias opinions didn’t reflect the judgment and cards didn’t read the way it should. However, Floyd’s poor performance in the fight didn’t cause him less a superb boxer in my estimation because I never was ever blinded by the facade and shows in the past like the jerks. I remain a fan and admirer of Floyd’s wizardry in the ring. Maidana was not underrated. It was Mayweather who was overrated by the normally jerk “experts.” And for them, it was well worth it as they all cry a bucket now and ask “bakit” (why).

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