Will Canelo weigh 170+ for Mayweather fight or come in lower?

WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) came into his last fight at junior middleweight weighing 172 lbs. for his fight with WBA junior middleweight champion Austin Trout last April.

That’s pretty heavy for a fighter that spends a lot of time fighting welterweights instead of junior middleweights. Canelo will now be fighting a welterweight in Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KO’s) on September 14th, and one of the questions about the fight is whether Canelo will come into the fight over 170 like he was for Trout or will Canelo try to come in lower in the 160s?

continue

Pacman to Host Manny Pacquiao National Boxing Championships

pac67No, Manny Pacquiao National Boxing Championships is not a title of a video game or some upcoming book or movie about Manny Pacquiao, it’s an actuality event that Manny himself plans on promoting and even hosting himself in Manila in order to scout out top grade boxing talent.

According to a recent report, the event will feature eight boxing teams from all over the country, to pit eight boxers in eight weight categories, and fight from six to eight rounds in rotation matches among winners. The winner will be awarded with a Manny Pacquiao Trophy and a cash grant of P100,000 each.

This will most certainly be a very successful boxing event or show in the Philippines, but will it gain any international attention?

continue

Roach says he’ll tell Pacquiao to retire if he loses to Rios

roach2As far as trainer Freddie Roach is concerned, 34-year-old Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) is a do or die situation in his next fight against former WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.

Roach says he’s going to tell Pacquiao to retire from boxing if he loses that fight because it’ll have been Pacquiao’s third straight loss and obviously a clear sign that he’s over-the-hill as a fighter.

Roach said in an interview with ESPN “Yeah, if he loses I will tell him to retire. If you lose three in a row it’s your time. He’s up there in age, I’ve got to keep a close eye on him. I will do the right thing. I don’t want him to be a stepping stone.”

continue

Broner expects to rule the boxing world within two years

broner4534Adrien Broner (26-0, 22 KO’s) believes he’s poised to be #1 fighter in boxing within the next two years, as his role model Floyd Mayweather Jr. is on the verge of wrapping up his own career after he completes the remaining 5 fights on his Showtime/CBS contract.

With Mayweather gone in the next year and a half, and Manny Pacquiao appearing to be near the end of his own career, there’s a possibility that a fighter like Broner can take over.

Broner said this as quoted by Golden Boy Promotions “I will be the ruler of boxing in a year or 2.”

If that’s the case then Broner is going to have to make sure he doesn’t have any slipups, starting with his fight on June 22nd against WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (32-4, 7 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

continue

Golovkin respects Macklin, thinks fight will be competitive

golovkin34WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (26-0, 23 KO’s) has a ton of respect for his June 29th opponent Matthew Macklin (29-4, 20 KO’s), and he believes he is pretty evenly matched with him in terms of power, speed, and skills for their fight at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, USA.

Golovkin said to esnewsreporting.com, “I respect him, he’s a good man. It’s a very difficult fight for us because he is the same size, same speed, same power; different style. It’s a great fight.”

Macklin is about the same size as Golovkin, but there’s a difference in power and skill. Golovkin is just a much better fighter on the surface. Macklin has the same kind of speed, but the difference in skills and power will likely be enough for Golovkin to have a huge advantage in this fight.

continue

Does Marcos Maidana vs. Amir Khan II Make Sense For Both?

maidana65After Amir Khan had won his bout against Marcos Maidana via a 12 round unanimous decision in 2010, many boxing fans demanded a rematch. Towards the end of the fight Maidana seemed to have hurt Khan, and was certainly comfortable coming forward. There was an entire community of boxing fans convinced that in a proposed rematch, Maidana would have sent Khan to the canvas.

Back then, it would have been impressive and shocking to most boxing fans, but today, after Danny Garcia had shown that Khan’s chin is not made of granite, it would simply pave the way for the critics to claim that they had known that Khan was an average fighter all along.

continue

Gary O’Sullivan ready to shock Billy Joe Saunders

Billy Joe Saunders will be KO’d early says WBO International Middleweight Champion Gary O’Sullivan in the battle of the undefeated fighters at Wembley Arena on Saturday 20th July.

Dubliner O’Sullivan clashes with rival Saunders on a huge night of boxing alongside stars Dereck Chisora, Carl Frampton and Paul Butler, live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

continue

Antoine “Action” Douglas 6th fight in 2013 on ESPN June 14, 2013

This week I conducted a phone interview with rising middleweight Antoine “Action” Douglas of Washington, D.C. who is scheduled to fight his 6th fight of 2013 against seasoned veteran Ibahiem “The Almighty” King on June 14th at the Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange, N.J. as part of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Antoine has had to overcome a lot of adversity in life. Douglas grew up with two drug-addicted parents, both of them in and out of jail. He and his sister and two brothers were raised by aunts, uncles, cousins, and strangers in the foster care system.

continue