All photos, Will Hart/K2 Promotions – WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and top rated contender Curtis Stevens stopped traffic Wednesday in Times Square as highlights of their past fights were very featured on multiple video boards.
Both fighters were mobbed by media and fans as they took photos and signed autographs during their visit just days ahead of their showdown this Saturday night, November 2 at Madison Square Garden, “The Mecca of Boxing” and LIVE on HBO®
Towers and Browne clash in an eliminator for the Commonwealth title, and as promoter of both men, ‘The Hitman’ knows exactly what to expect with the stakes so high – and that’s fireworks.
“It’s a great fight, a great clash of styles,” said Hatton. “Being the promoter of both, it’s a little bit upsetting to see them fighting each other. They’re two of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but there’s nothing nice about the way they fight.
“This is great opportunity for them both. Lucas has a WBC ranking of 15th, which is a scalp Richard will be after. If you get to 15th in the world, things open up so it’s a big, big fight and it’s going to be very interesting.
By suggesting that he is the only one out there who can potentially hand Mayweather Jr. his first loss, Bernard Hopkins initiated a huge wave of discussions, arguments and predictions. The idea itself had never entered anyone’s mind, until at the Mayweather Jr. vs. Canelo post fight press conference Hopkins decided to bring the subject to the microphones and video cameras being shoved in his face.
Whether or not the fight is a viable option for either of the fighters, it seems nothing more but an illusion, a fantasy that feeds the boxing fans and the media ideas that are simply unrealistic.
Last Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader, highlighted by Future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, drew the second largest average audience for a live SHOWTIME® boxing event this year and ranks as the third-highest average on record for the premium network since 2004 when Nielsen began tracking pay television networks’ individual channels.
Welsh star Nathan Cleverly will begin his campaign to become a two-time world champion when he makes his big ring return as a cruiserweight on Saturday 30th November at London’s Copper Box Arena. Cleverly goes straight back into title action when he takes on Australian Daniel Ammann for the Vacant Commonwealth title, featuring alongside Dereck Chisora who makes the first defence of his European Heavyweight title against Matteo Modugno, live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).
The 25-year-old lost his unbeaten record and WBO World Light-Heavyweight crown to big-hitting Russian Sergey Kovalev in August, but after a break and refocussing himself on his career, Cleverly is desperate to get back in the ring and win a second world title in 2014.
The IBF bantamweight title, vacant as it is after being stripped from Jamie McDonnell, will be contested by Stuart Hall (a former points loser to McDonnell) and Vusi Malinga on December 21st, promoter Dennis Hobson has confirmed to Boxing News.
Juan Carlos Gomez (51-3-0) is confident that he can “turn back time” and become cruiserweight champion again more than ten year after his last title reign. “Bernard Hopkins showed the whole world what old men are capable of”, said Gomez at a press conference today in Dachau, Germany. “And compared to Hopkins I am still a young guy! I’m not saying that I will still be world champion in eight or ten years but I know that I still have some great fights in me.”
“The Black Panther” returns to action this Friday (Nov. 1) in Dachau against journeyman Adnan Buharalija (29-18-2). The show will be broadcasted live on Eurosport. “With Hopkins beating up opponents at will and other guys like Vitali Klitschko and Guillermo Jones showing dominant performances at 40+ I feel like I’m part of a movement”, adds Gomez. “Maybe this is the age of the ageless fighter. I can only say that I hardly remember times when I felt better and stronger than right now.”
The Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios bout is fast-approaching, and boxing fans have focused their crosshairs on the topic at hand. While this fight is starting to gain more momentum in a snowball effect type of fashion, still there is much talk of the improbable bout between Mayweather Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins.
It seems as though a shot at Mayweather Jr. is the only way to succeed in boxing, and every fighter that can see and feel the throne is aggressively attempting at securing that high profile fight.
Bernard Hopkins had suggested that he is the only one with enough ring experience and ring I.Q. to beat Mayweather Jr. His old school boxing knowledge would supposedly provide enough tricks and narrow down the learning curve to where Hopkins would be able to adjust and effectively deal with Floyd’s style.
LONDON (29 Oct) – Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao’s return to the ring against the unyielding Brandon Rios on November 23rd will be brought to UK fight fans live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/Virgin Ch.546).
The eagerly anticipated matchup which sees Pacquiao make his first return to the ring since his devastating knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez will pit him against one of boxing’s most relentless warriors in the shape of Rios, in a bout certain to produce fireworks.