(Photo credit: Esther Lin) Despite the emergence of a Gennady Golovkin, what’s something special about the famous boxing “duo” which we can’t find in other boxers of this generation, so much so that the sport would seem to dim and weaken if they retire?
What is in Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao that keeps the sport “buzzing and oozing” notwithstanding the former’s disdained, manipulated “unbeaten” record and the latter’s recent heart-breaking “defeats”?
Former two division world champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-5, 35 KO’s) wants to face unbeaten #2 WBO, #3 WBA, #5 WBC, #8 IBF, featherweight contender Gary Russell Jr. (22-0, 13 KO’s) next on September 7th, according to The Record. De Leon, 32, was reportedly offered the fight and he definitely wants the fight, but at 130 lbs. [super featherweight], not featherweight.
De Leon said to The Record “I was offered Gary Russell Jr., and I want that fight but at 130. I’m going to fight on September 7…I hope Russell takes the fight, I already accepted it. Golden Boy wants the fight.”
Light heavyweight Allan Green (32-4, 22 KO’s) has reportedly pulled out of his scheduled bout against unbeaten Eleider Alvarez (12-0, 8 KO’s) due to a case of food poisoning, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
The Green-Alvarez fight was scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 from the Connecticut Convention Center, in Hartford, Connecticut. Green, 33, came in 6 pounds over the contracted 180 lb. weight limit during yesterday’s weigh-in.
Dan Rafael said on his twitter, “6 pounds over his contract limit, Allan Green has now pulled out of tonight’s ESPN FNF main event supposedly because of food poisoning.
Lennox Lewis thinks heavyweight David Price (15-1, 13 KO’s) will avenge his loss to Tony Thompson (37-3, 25 KO’s) tomorrow night and do it in style by knocking the 41-year-old American out in the process at the Echo Arena, in Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom.
Price, 6’8”, was taken out by Thompson in two rounds last February in a knockout that halted Price’s progress towards a title shot. Before the fight there had been talk of the 29-year-old Thompson soon getting a world title shot against one of the Kitschko brothers.
Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1, 32 KO’s) says he wants to face WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (27-0, 24 KO’s) at 168 lbs, and he thinks he’s can KO him if the fight gets made, according to The Record. Chavez Jr. might be open to fighting Golovkin at 160, but he prefers 168 so that he’ll be full strength.
Chavez Jr. said to The Record “It could also be at middleweight [in facing Golovkin], but it would be better in between or at 168 because I struggle with the weight and I’m stronger when I go up. I think I can knock him out.”
Lightweight Kevin Mitchell (33-2, 24 KO’s) will be fighting this Saturday night against little known Sebastien Benito (10-6, 3 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, UK.
The light heavyweight division has been very active over the last few years. Fighters, networks, and promoters found away to give boxing fans something they rarely get in the sports current state…clarity. With all 3 forces working together all hell broke loose with unforeseen upsets, draws, rematches, and the triangle theory once again got debunked. We got entertaining scraps that warranted rematch fights with Chad Dawson vs. Glenn Johnson and Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal.
Jean Pascal may have drew and loss to BHop but was able to upset Chad Dawson, Dawson then rebounded from his first loss to beat the legend of longevity Hopkins only to get upset with a stunning 1st round one punch KO by Adonis Stevenson, in the most recent 175 division matchup.
Light heavyweight Allan “Ghost Dog” Green (32-4, 22 KO’s) came in 6 pounds over the contract limit of 180 lbs for his fight against unbeaten Eleider Alvarez (12-0, 8 KO’s) for their scheduled 10 round fight this Friday night at the Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Golden Boy Promotions has decided to price the upcoming September 14th fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and their fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at $65 for standard definition and $75 for high definition pay per view. This is good news. Golden Boy could have gotten really greedy and priced the fight into the $70s for standard definition and boxing fans likely would have purchased the fight in just as high numbers as they will for the $65 fight card.
The recent tour by Mayweather and Canelo will no doubt make the Mayweather-Canelo fight a lot bigger, as will the All Access episodes that will be televised by Showtime. Whether the fight will break the all-time PPV buys record set by Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 is another matter altogether.
#1 WBA, Martin Murray (25-1-1, 11 KO’s) thinks he would give WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (27-0, 24 KO’s) a lot of problems if he were to face him next. Murray feels he’s a cut above the guys that Golovkin has been facing recently, and he thinks he’d give him a really difficult fight. Golovkin’s manager recently contacted Murray’s manager to find out the status of his visa problems in connection with a possible fight in the United States on November 2nd.
Murray still hasn’t ironed out the visa problems as of yet, so it’s unclear whether a fight between Golovkin and Murray would be a realistic option for Golovkin.
Murray said to Livefight “Look at Golovkin’s opponents…he’s not fought anyone like myself. That’s when you’ll see the best of me. Me and Golovkin would be a hell of a fight.”