Kubrat Pulev with first real test against Tony Thompson tonight

Boxen, Wiegen in Schwerin, Kubrat Pulev, Thony Thomsen (Photo credit: Wende) The 6’4 ½” Bulgarian heavyweight Kubrat Pulev (17-0, 9 KO’s) will be taking his real first of his 5-year pro career tonight against the 6’5” American Tony Thompson (38-3, 26 KO’s) at the Sport and Congress Center, Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

This is a fight where anything can happen, because Pulev hasn’t been in with good heavyweights since he turned pro at the ripe age of 29 after a long amateur career. Pulev was a good amateur fighter in Bulgaria, but he had problems when he had to face heavyweights with power like Roberto Cammarelle and Odlanier Solis. With only jab to try and beat them, Pulev was overmatched and dominated by both of them.

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Gil Clancy was right – Take Matters into Your Own Hands

Hall of fame trainer/manager/analyst Gil Clancy was fond of telling his fighters between rounds, “If he hits you low, hit him back low”. Watching Friday Night Fights caused me to remember Clancy’s sage advice. I won’t go into which fighter was doing what, but generally speaking all too often fighters are allowed to carry on with dirty tactics.

One of the worst and most damaging tactics is use of the elbow(s). Getting an elbow in the face (or anywhere else) is not pleasant. When it happens over and over again, it can be downright demoralizing. Even if it doesn’t always hurt, it often involves a push, knocking a fighter off stride or unfairly opening him up for a damaging punch.

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Arash Usmanee, Argenis Mendez battle to exciting draw

829 VERONA, N.Y. (August 23, 2013) – Photos by TOM CASINO / IRON MIKE PRODUCTIONS – International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion Argenis “La Tormenta” Mendez (21-2-1, 11 KOs) retained his title after battling challenger Arash Usmanee (20-1-1, 10 KOs) to an exciting 12-round majority draw in tonight’s “Tyson Is Back!” event, live on the ESPN Friday Night Fights 2013 season finale, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

“Tyson Is Back!” was promoted by Iron Mike Productions in association with Greg Cohen Productions.

Neither fighter hit the canvas in the main event as the momentum switched back and forth throughout the fight. The crowd was on its collective feet in the second-half of the bout as Mendez displayed superior hand speed and powerful counter punching, while IBF No. 13-rated Usmanee was the aggressor and doggedly determined

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BoxNation to screen ‘All Access’ Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez preview series

LONDON (August 23) – BoxNation is delighted to announce that it will be bringing the hit ‘All Access’ series exclusively to UK screens ahead of Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s superfight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez next month. The documentary kicks-off on Monday 26 August at 7pm and will be free-to-air on BoxNation for Sky TV customers.

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Golden Boy/Showtime Doublerheader: One step closer to Abner Mares – Leo Santa Cruz

The newly renamed StubHub Center has been the mecca of boxing in southern California and this Showtime Doubleheader will only add to the recent string of action fights. From a matchmaking standpoint this card will produce fireworks to entertain the viewers at home. It also features top prospect talent for the paying customer live at the event. Will it be just a showcase to further drum up attention for the Mares vs. Santa Cruz fight, or will there be some unforeseen drama that happens when fans, promoters, and fighters have one eye on the future without fully focusing on the present?

Abner Mares faces a hardened vet in Jhonny Gonzalez, an awkward counterpuncher with plenty of power having scored 46 knockouts in his 54 wins.

Leo Santa Cruz challenges Victor Terrazas for the 1st defense of the belt won in his last fight with Cristian Mijares. If successful it will have been Leo’s second world title in as many weight classes.

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Iron Mike makes promotional debut on Friday Night Fights

821 Most people who have been around the boxing industry for a considerable amount of time will tell you that the only thing crazier than actually stepping in the ring is getting into the promotional side of the sport.

Being a fight promoter is not for the faint of heart. It’s a brutal trade that is more than deserving of its “hurt business” moniker…and if you’re one of the few promoters who can actually make money from staging live cards, while continually trying to sign the best talent available, well then you’re a blessed individual.

On Friday, August 23rd, from the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York, Hall of Fame fighter and former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson will try his luck in the promotional realm. On ESPN ‘s “Friday Night Fights” season finale, Iron Mike Productions will present two title fights in the 130 and 126 pound weight divisions.

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Amir “Hardcore” Mansour Interview – “I’m Definitely The Most Avoided Heavyweight Out There!”

Unbeaten southpaw heavyweight Amir Mansour believes he is the best kept secret in the heavyweight division today. This may come across as an overused cliché, but “Hardcore,” as the 18-0(14) heavyweight is known, has certainly been avoided by the top names of the division, and this is the reason, he says passionately, that the casual fans are largely unaware of him and his explosive talents.

The 41-year-old, who has served some serious time in prison, has also suffered criticism due to his age. Yet the eloquently spoken Delaware man defies any younger fighter to come and test his speed, stamina and power. Amir has also put his jail time well and truly behind him.

Speaking with me last week, ahead of tonight’s fight against the seasoned Maurice Harris, Mansour insisted that as long as he keeps winning the top names will have to “come and see me eventually.”

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Amir Khan gets yet another title shot – is he a worthy contender or a stepping stone in disguise?

Amir Khan is slated to fight Devon Alexander for the IBF welterweight title on December 7, 2013. Khan has had nothing but title fights since his first loss at the hands of Breidis Prescott. The only exception was his last fight against Julio Diaz which was a non-title bout that Amir got up from a 4th round knock down to win by UD. That makes of 12 fights for different titles and he won 9 of them.

Amir‘s loss to Prescott came in a lightweight title bout in 2008 via first round KO. It was a deep, heavy fall and it didn’t look like Khan could ever beat Prescott. My view then was that Khan wasn’t made for professional boxing despite his stellar amateur career. He bounced back and moved up to light welterweight to have all those high profile fights.

Unlike other high-profile fighters who have a dedicated fan following, Khan has a bandwagon of nay-sayers and very few fans support him even in his own country. He is someone fans love to hate.

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Dereck Chisora: ‘I want to get the European Title, then Wladimir Klitschko’

Former World Title challenger Dereck Chisora, who recently enjoyed the best win of his career against Malik Scott, made headlines on his short break to Ibiza last month when the Finchley heavyweight came face to face with long-time rival and World Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitchsko.

Chisora opened up about the meeting and reiterated his desire to face the younger Klitchsko brother in the ring in the next year. Chisora, who is mandatory challenger for the European Heavyweight Title, is part of a bumper line-up at the Copper Box Arena’s debut boxing event on the 21st September, headlined by Billy Joe Saunders’ British title defence against John Ryder.

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Maxwell Awuku fired up for world title

Ghanaian, Maxwell Awuku, currently ranked number 6 by the WBO at Junior Lightweight is relishing his impending trip to the United States of America to begin the new phase of his career, and the former WBO and WBA Pan Africa Super Featherweight champion is pledging to return home a world champion.

Experienced Awuku, 35-2-1, 23 KOs, has just received his US visa after getting a P1 approval and is expected to depart Accra for his new life in the US by the first week of September and he is already setting lofty targets after spending almost a decade of his professional career on the African continent.

Hitherto, in his 10th professional fight back on November 24 2006, Awuku caused a major upset with an astonishing victory over former world champion, Lehlo Ledwaba who boasts Manny Pacquiao in his fighting resume. Former IBF Bantamweight titlist, Lewdaba was trying to get back to the top but Awuku’s defeat forced the South African into permanent retirement.

Awuku was also once lined up to fight Rene Gonzalez for the WBA world title but fell through at the last minute. Still, Awuku never got the credit he deserved until he defeated world title contender, Joseph Laryea in 2009, successfully defending the WBA Pan-Africa title he had won after beating Ledwaba.

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