Oscar De La Hoya
Yes. We are one month away from the mega event, “The One: Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez,” which will be a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC and WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World title and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship.
Darren “Dazzling” Barker and Daniel “The Real Deal” Geale fought an all out action packed twelve round bout that could be considered one of the fights of the year; in which Barker earned the hard fought split decision victory over Geale to become the new International Boxing Federation (“IBF”) Middleweight Champion. Barker garnered two scorecards of 116-111 and 114-113 while Geale received the other scorecard of 114-113.
This fight was televised by HBO Boxing After Dark from the Revel Casino – Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Barker from England improved his record to 26-1, 16KOs with the victory and has won three consecutive fights since his lone loss as a professional when he was stopped by current World Boxing Council Middleweight Champion and one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world, Sergio Martinez in the eleventh round.
LOS ANGELES, August 19 – One of the premier boxers of this era, Zab “Super” Judah has won five world titles in two weight divisions, but he still has plenty of goals left, including winning another championship and continuing to give fans more exciting fights. So it is with great pleasure that Golden Boy Promotions is announcing a joint venture with Super Judah Promotions to co-promote Judah and make sure the world continues to see this boxing superstar on the sport’s biggest stages.
“Super Judah Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions working together is phenomenal,” said Judah. “I have been doing business with Golden Boy Promotions for a number of years, working both with them and against them and I know what it’s like to be on both sides. Through those times, I see that we are a perfect fit. This joint venture will give me the experience I need as a promoter and get me the big fights I want at this point of my career.”
“How are things today? He’s not going to get a chance to fight me. I was feeling that way weeks ago. Now, I’m feeling like I wouldn’t even give him a chance. He had a chance, he blew it, so that’s what it is,” said Mayweather Jr. in a recent interview with MLive.com when talking about a possibility of him facing Pacquiao.
Mayweather Jr. is running out of formidable fan-approved opponents, who will he fight when there is no one left?
Mayweather Jr. has the tendency to contract himself at times, as we have heard him say that he will fight him just to turn around and say that he is not interested in that fight. Still, I have always hoped, and still do, that these two will fight when the time is right and the money is on the table.
Mark C. (Hollywood, FL): Looks like Curtis Stevens has talked his way into a showdown with GGG. I like Steven’s power and his heart. Do you think he can pull off the upset?
Vivek W.: When you have two heavy punchers like this, anything is possible. But I wouldn’t advise anyone to drop any ducats in the bucket! Sometimes in life we have to be careful what we wish for! I won’t go out on a limb and say, unequivocally, that Stevens loses. But when you examine things a bit closer, I really don’t know that his chances are as great as he may think. I love his confidence, and I think you have to respect a young lion in the sport who feels strong enough about his talent to not only call out the biggest star in his realm, but actually go forward with the plans to take him out. That being said, GGG has been in beast mode lately, and there’s really nothing major for Stevens to get out of this fight.
The wait is finally over as a mega fight heads for Australia. In Late October 2013 “The Legendary Fight of the Ages” takes place in Sydney, Australia. Two of the world’s most legendary fighters from two different continents face off in what should be one of the most blockbuster fights of our time. From the United States is “Sugar” Shane Mosley who is one greatest boxers of all time taking on the Australia Legend, Anthony Mundine. This match up shapes up to be one of the best fights in the history of boxing. Fans across the world will be treated to a battle which is truly a test of what champions are all about.
Highly rated boxer, Richard Oblitey Commey returned back home to Ghana last Friday to a gargantuan welcome at the Kotoka International Airport after beating Paul Truscott in London on July 13 in a final eliminator for the Commonwealth Lightweight title.
With new surprise recipient of the particular belt, Derry Matthews scheduled for his first voluntary defence against Curtis Woodhouse on September 21, Commey has returned home to train and possibly fight for the IBF International title before the eventual clash for the Commonwealth championship by close of year.
But perhaps the biggest gain of their journey to the United Kingdom may have been the one-week sparring and training camp they had with WBO Lightweight champion, Ricky Burns in Scotland as Burns prepares for the defence of his world title against Raymundo Beltran on September 7 in the United States.
What a rollercoaster night of emotions British boxing fans experienced last night! In Cardiff, Wales, unbeaten WBO light-heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly was the victim of one of the most one-sided beat-downs seen, as the lethal-hitting monster that is Sergey Kovalev won by crushing yet at the same time seemingly effortless fashion.
Simply put, the fight was no contest from the start, as the Russian terror knocked the unbeaten Welshman senseless, to the point where the referee was all but holding Cleverly up at the end of that torrid 3rd-round. The slaughter should have been stopped then, as Cleverly was totally gone and seemed out of it as he sat on his stool. Cleverly actually appeared to come to in the corner and he was allowed out for the 4th. The inevitable was swift in coming, however.
“I started loading up and got carless and I started getting hit too much,” said Barker. “The occasion kind of got to me. If I would had stuck to my game plan and boxed more, I would have won easier. During the knockdown it all went through my head…my wife my family and my daughter. I knew I was up against it going in. He was a tough man.”
(photo credit: Main Events) Sergey Kovalev has emerged as a force to be reckoned with and he is like a breath of fresh air. Fans like to see boxers winning decisively beyond doubt and leaving no room for controversy and politics. Kovalev did just that and perhaps established himself as a leading pay-per-view star. Here is a quick breakdown of his winning effort:
Round 1: Not much of initial probing and testing, the differences in their stances reflected the difference in their styles. Cleverly leaned a little forward most of the time smoothly shifting weight between offense and defense. Kovalev had a puncher’s stance and kept his weight on the back foot as a rule but shifted form foot to foot with punches. His footwork was much faster and sharper than Cleverly’s as was his hand speed. His superior range orientation allowed him to keep his guard low and the hands free for punching. His defense relied heavily on counter punching and reflex. He used the jab only as a range finder for his left hooks and right hands. Cleverly did not throw or land anything significant and this would become a worrying pattern for him.