Has HBO’s The Fight Game with Jim Lampley been more hype than fight?

May 12, 2012 was the day HBO Sports debut The Fight Game with Jim Lampley. Many fans, including myself were excited for boxing to have a show with detail that would help exploit issues, and could also keep mainstream fans informed on the world of boxing, a sport that can confuse even the most hardcore follower. Has the fight game live up to its potential or was it just words made to sound good in a press release?

Let’s start with the HBO press release that made the show seem like the perfect medicine for a sport that is in bad health on many levels.

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Emmanuel Tagoe set to rumble against Robles Friday night

Game Boy vrs Robles weigh in The countdown is over and tonight at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, United States, Emmanuel Tagoe puts his world title credentials under the spotlight against American, Gerardo Robles in a fight for the IBF International Junior Lightweight belt.

For Tagoe who will be fighting in the United Stated for the first time, the clash against Robles entails more than the title at stake with victory setting him up for a potential crack at the IBF world title by the end of the year.

It’s also a stage for the Ghanaian showmaster to answer his critics and prove that he can take on the big boys of world boxing even in the US.

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The Story Of The Non-Boxing Fan

In San Antonio two weeks ago a fight that resonated across the boxing landscape took place. Undefeated Omar Figueroa and highly ranked Nihito Arakawa basically beat the tar out of each other for 12 rounds in a lightweight bout with the Japanese fighter taking the brunt of the damage. Now this has all been covered by the boxing media ad nauseum but, what has not been covered, because honestly it is almost impossible to cover, is the impact the fight had on your average sports fan and your standard UFC loving boxing hater.

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Ruslan Provodnikov arrives in LA to begin training camp to take on Mike Alvarado

Ruslan Provodnikov has landed in Los Angeles to begin training camp for his much anticipated showdown with WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado that will take place on Saturday, October 19th at First Bank Arena in Denver, Colorado.

The bout will be live on HBO’s Championship boxing and is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions.

Provodnikov will be training at the Wild Card Gym under the watchful eye of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Provodnikov of Beryozovo, Russia has a record of 22-2 with fifteen knockouts and has become 2013’s breakout star. He won his first seventeen bouts with wins over Emanuel Augustus and former world champion Javier Juaragui. Since suffering his first pro defeat, Provodnikov went on terrific run of five straight wins over the likes of undefeated Ivan Popoca, former world champion DeMarcus Corley, David Torres and Jose Reynoso before his memorable March 16, 2013 clash with undefeated WBO Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

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Danny Garcia & Angel Garcia Media Workout Quotes & Photos

Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and his father/trainer Angel Garcia opened their Philadelphia training camp for the media on Wednesday as they prepare for their upcoming showdown against power-punching Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse.

Garcia (26-0, 20 KO’s) will defend his WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Titles against WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Matthysse (34-2, 32 KO’s) in the 12-round co-featured bout of “THE ONE” MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO” on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The fight will be produced and televised live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

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Vince Cleverly: “Nathan will KO Kovalev 100%”

Nathan Cleverly’s father and trainer Vince has promised that his son will knock-out iron-fisted Sergey Kovalev.

Cleverly Snr and Kovalev’s trainer, John David Jackson, discussed their fighters’ preparations last night on a conference call ahead of the massive showdown at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on Saturday 17th August, live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

Cleverly defends his WBO World Light-Heavyweight title for the sixth and most dangerous defence yet against the undefeated Kovalev who’s knocked out 19 of his 22 opponents with 18 coming inside three rounds.

But Cleverly is adamant that his son will retain his title and will even knock out the fearsome Russian.

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Casino Miami Jai-Alai “Summer Slugfest”

This afternoon at Casino Miami Jai-Alai the final press conference for Saturday night’s boxing “ Summer Slugfest “ show was held.

2010 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee (Trainer/Manager) and former (since 1977, handshake agreement) Don King Promotions trainer, manager, matchmaker and talent scout Al Bonanni-Tiburon Promotions was hosting the press conference announcing his third recent show at Casino Miami Jai-Alai.

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Argenis Mendez headlines Aug. 23rd ESPN FNF on Iron Mike Productions card

DEERFIELD, Fla. (August 7, 2013) – International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion Argenis “La Tormenta” Mendez (21-2, 11 KOs) has been training in England for his first world title defense on August 23, airing live on ESPN Friday Night Fights, against challenger Arash Usmanee (20-1, 10 KOs), from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Mendez vs. Usmanee represents the main event on the intitial event promoted by Iron Mike Productions, “Tyson Is Back!”, a scheduled 12-round war between the 2004 Dominican Republic Olympian (Mendez) and Afghanistan-native (Usmanee) who lives in Montreal.

Acquinity Sports, under CEO Garry Jonas, partnered with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson to form Iron Mike Productions, which is presenting “Tyson Is Back!” in association with Greg Cohen Promotions.

Mendez, rated No. 2 in the world by The Ring Magazine, fights for the first time since he captured his IBF belt this past March, dismantling defending champion Juan Carlos Salgado (26-1-1) in a rematch that ended with a sensational knockout in the fourth round.

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Floyd Mayweather is not Chicken!

floyd33 Manny misspoke when he said Floyd Mayweather, Jr. runs, which implies he’s chicken. No one really buys that. However, they do go along with the idea that Floyd is guilty of same thing as Wladimir Klitschko. Hall of Famer Larry Merchant explained it best when he corrected someone for calling bouts – boxing. Larry quickly explained, in no uncertain terms, that that is not what people pay to see. According to Larry, they’re paying to see prize fighting, with emphasis on fighting.

Floyd has been boxing since he got out of diapers. His father and uncles were either boxing or training/coaching others how to box before Little Money was born. It’s a safe bet to say Small Change was boxing while still in his crib. He doesn’t know anything else. Boxing has been his life. If he was a chicken, there’s no way he could have carried on the family’s tradition.

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Pacquiao vs. Rios: The Full New York City Presser

After a tour through Asia, Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios returned to the U.S. for a press event in the Big Apple.

HBO Pay-Per-View will broadcast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Fighter of the Decade, Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (54-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province of the Philippines, versus former world champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS (31-1-1, 22 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif.

Remaining tickets, priced from $1,275 to $115, and various ticket-hotel packages at Sands China’s Cotai Strip Resorts Macao, are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.venetianmacao.com/manny. U.S.-based fans may also order via a special toll-free number: 1-855-234-4410.

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