Adonis Stevenson ready to fight for vacant IBF strap if Froch gives it up

stevenson323By Michael Collins: #1 IBF mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson (19-1, 16 KO’s) is still waiting to see what IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch will do next. Froch wants to fight WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler next, but the two fighters are still wrapped up in a tough negotiation. Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn says he expects this to be concluded this week. He’s going to have to make a decision at this time whether to fight Kessler and give up the IBF strap or face the dangerous Stevenson.

If Froch chooses to fight Kessler, then the IBF strap will be vacated by him and Stevenson will then fight one of three contenders for the vacant title. According to Steve Kim the options for Stevenson are as follows:

1. Edwin Rodriguez

2. Lucian Bute

3. Thomas Oosthuizen

Rodriguez is ranked #3, Bute #4 and Oosthuizen #5 by the International Boxing Federation. So it’ll be up to Rodriguez first if he wants to fight Stevenson for the vacant IBF 168 pound title. If he declines the fight, which I doubt he will, then Bute will be the next fighter to get a shot. It’s doubtful he’ll take the fight because it’s a high risk fight and he’ll likely wait to get his big money rematch against Carl Froch at some point in 2013.

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Pacquiao and Marquez in possible tune-up doubleheader on April 20th

marquez34By Rob Smith: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly interested in putting together separate tune-up bouts for his fighter Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in a pay per view doubleheader on April 20th, according to the Manila Bulletin. Pacquiao’s anxious to get back in the ring and his 90-day medical suspension will have expired by that point. The tune-up bouts would get Pacquiao and Marquez ready for a huge mega fight later on in the year in September if the two fighters agree to it.

Marquez still needs to say ‘yes’ to the idea of the April 20th doubleheader. Arum spoke with Marquez’s promoter Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions and he’s going to be speaking with Marquez to see if he’s on board with this idea.

Arum likes the idea of the Pacquiao and Marquez doubleheader because it’ll get boxing fans interested in a fight between the two stars in September in what would be a fifth fight between them. It’s likely that their September fight will take place on the Mexican Independence day on September 14th or around the same time.

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Saul Alvarez looking to get Mayweather bout on September 14th

alvarez4534By Bill Phanco: Whether WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) fights on Golden Boy Promotion’s May 4th fight card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, may come down to whether Golden Boy can get him a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. later on in the year on September 14th.

According to fightnews.com, a source has reported that Alvarez hasn’t agreed yet to fight on the Mayweather pay per view undercard on May 4th against possibly WBA junior middleweight champion Austin Trout.

Apparently, the deal that Alvarez is looking for is a guaranteed fight against Mayweather Jr. on September 14th before he’ll agree to fight on the May 4th card. If Alvarez can’t get that deal then he’ll fight on another date. He could even fight in Mexico.

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Rees: I’m going to beat Broner; he can’t knock me out

rees45By Michael Collins: Former WBA light welterweight champion Gavin Rees (37-1, 18 KO’s) doesn’t see himself as an incredible underdog in his February 16th fight against WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s). Rees thinks he’ll beat him and then use the win to get a big unification bout against WBO champion Ricky Burns in 2013.

Rees said to livefight.com “I will win…this will put me on the map everywhere…It will open doors for a unification fight for me against Ricky Burns.”

You almost feel sorry for Rees because he’s going to be crushed in this fight. Here he is already looking at fights beyond the Broner fight as if the win is in the bag. It’s going to be tough on Rees to taste defeat and find out that he just doesn’t measure up.

Rees has been stopped once in his career in his loss to Andriy Kotelnik in 2008, but I think he’s going to be stopped again in this fight against Broner.

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Haye: I can give Vitali the mega-fight his resume is missing

haye324By Michael Collins: David Haye (26-2, 24 KO’s) still isn’t giving up in his seemingly hopeless pursuit of a big money fight against 41-year-old WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (45-2, 41 KO’s) despite the apparent lack of interest coming from the 6’7” Ukrainian. It seems like the more Vitali ignores Haye, the more Haye continues to talk up a fight between him and Vitali.

Haye said to the telegraph.co.uk “There’s nobody else in heavyweight division that can give RTL the viewing figures…But the bottom line is that he’s a fighter and hopefully he wants the fight the fans want. He’s never had that flagship fight, that one mega-fight that people will always remember him for.”

I don’t think Haye would be a fight that would make much of a serious impact on Vitali’s resume to tell you the truth. Having Haye on his resume would be pretty much about the same as having other guys like Shannon Briggs, Samuel Peter and Corrie Sanders.

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Ricky Burns’ next title defense postponed

burns43By Michael Collins: WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (35-2, 10 KO’s) won’t be back in the ring on January 26th as previously scheduled, according to his manager Alex Morrison. Burns wants to rest up a little more and then come back in February or March, according to the BBC.

Burns still doesn’t have an opponent in mind for his next fight, but we do know it won’t be WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner, as Burns turned that fight down for some reason. Boxing fans really want to see Burns fight Broner, but Burns isn’t ready yet.

Broner has his own theory for why Burns isn’t interested in fighting him, saying to Fighthype.com “He don’t want to fight me…He’s trying to milk the game. He knows after he fights me, he’s not going to be s***.”

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Pacquiao could fight twice in 2013

pac342By Rob Smith: The recently knocked out Manny Pacquiao could still be fighting twice this year, according to ABS-CBN News. Pacquiao just arrived back from vacation in Israel and he reportedly may choose to fight twice in 2013 if possible. His opponents are still undecided, although his promoter Bob Arum is very high on putting Pacquiao back in with Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth fight.

Before Pacquiao fights again, he’ll likely be checked out at the Cleveland Brain Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada to make sure that he’s okay to fight again. This is what Arum wants before Pacquiao gets back in the ring.

For Pacquiao to fight twice in 2013, he’s going to have to be back in the ring by at least June or July, since his fights are often five months apart. It’s possible for Pacquiao to fight twice but he may have to convince Arum that this is a good idea because he’s been talking about having Pacquiao rest until September.

If Pacquiao fights in September then he’ll only get one fight in this year. It looks like Pacquiao doesn’t want to drop off his activity level, so we should be hearing something soon if he does indeed plan on getting two fights in this year.

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Tyson Fury turns down big offer for David Price bout

By Michael Collins: Undefeated heavyweight contender Tyson Fury (20-0, 14 KO’s) has reportedly turned down a big £1 million offer from British promoter Frank Maloney for a fight against the unbeaten 6’8” David Price (15-0, 13 KO’s) for an all British clash in June, possibly in Anfield or London.

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Bellew to face Chilemba in WBC 175 lb eliminator on March 30th

By Michael Collins: Tony Bellew (19-1, 12 KO’s) will be trying to put himself in position for a title shot when he faces Isaac Chilemba (20-1-1, 9 KO’s) on March 30th in a WBC light heavyweight title eliminator bout at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, UK. #3 WBC Bellew can’t afford to lose this fight if he wants to get a shot against WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson this year.

Both fights are going to be very tough for the 30-year-old Bellew because these aren’t the typical fodder opponents that he’s been dining on most of his career. Chilemba is one of the best fighters in the division, and might even be good enough to beat WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly, who beat Bellew by a 12 round majority decision in October 2011. Chilemba can really bring and he’s got some good wins on his resume with victories over Maxim Vlasov, Edison Miranda and a nice draw with Thomas Oosthuizen.

Bellew has gotten too used to blowing out weak opposition and it’s going to be interesting to see how he adjusts to someone he can’t take out and who keeps coming forward. Bellew looked mighty stressed out in his recent fight against Miranda last year in September. Bellew won the fight by a 9th round TKO, but he was clearly bothered and worried about Miranda’s big power.

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