WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (31-0, 12 KO’s) really lucked out last year when he was given a controversial 12 round split decision over Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Few people believe that Bradley won that fight, and he’s seen by many fans as a paper champion because of the win that was given to him.
As of now, it’s looking like Bradley will likely be Pacquiao’s next opponent in April in a rematch. Former lightweight champion Nate Campbell, who previously fought Bradley back in 2009, thinks he could end up getting permanently ruined by Pacquiao if he takes the rematch. Campbell saw how Bradley was slurring his words after his fight against Ruslan Provodnikov last March, and he sees him possibly having a worst outcome against Pacquiao due to his speed, power and desire for revenge.
The issue is no longer between Pacquiao and Mayweather or between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions. It has come to a point that the “unbeaten” boxer has to contend with the entire boxing world excluding puppets.
Recently British heavyweight Tyson Fury (21-0, 15 KO’s) had been telling anyone that cared to listen to him that he wanted to fight Golden Boy fighter Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KO’s), but shortly after Deontay expressed interest in facing him too, Fury said he was retiring from boxing.
It looks like it’s finally dawned on Manny Pacquiao’s team that they won’t be able to count on having Juan Manuel Marquez continue to fight him and help pump up his pay-per-view numbers anymore, as Pacquiao’s personal adviser Michael Koncz is now saying what everyone has known for the past 6 months in that Marquez will never fight Pacquiao fight Pacquiao again.
London / Johannesburg / Monte Carlo (December 24, 2013) – Former WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly has replaced Pawel Kolodziej as an opponent for big-hitting cruiserweight Junior Makabu on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin’s championship fight at the Monte Carlo Boxing Bonanza on February 1, 2014.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s auxiliary goal in the sport of boxing, for over four years now, seems to have been to tear down the image of Manny Pacquiao in any way he can. Floyd can’t and/or won’t do it in the ring so he does it outside of the ring with racial and ethnic slurs, mocking insults, false and damaging accusations, and various other attempted belittlements. A mission of sorts, clearly Manny has been on Floyd’s mind more than Floyd has been on his.
If George Groves (19-1, 15 KO’s) can’t get IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch to give him a rematch, WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KO’s) says he’d be interested in giving Groves a chance at winning his belt. Ward liked what he saw of Groves in his loss last month to Froch in Manchester, UK, and he thinks Groves deserves a title shot.
LAS VEGAS (December 264, 2013) – Reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Super and International Boxing Association (IBA) Light Heavyweight World Champion
LOS ANGELES (Dec 26) – 2013 was one of the best years boxing has had in recent memory, and as Sports Illustrated recapped the past 12 months, it honored Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer as the iconic publication’s Promoter of the Year.