Nigel Benn: Great Britain’s Most Exciting Fighter Of The ‘80s and ‘90s!

Nigel BennBy James Slater – As those fans who were lucky enough to have seen him fight live, in the flesh (really lucky!) or from their armchair (must-see T.V!), Great Britain’s great middleweight/super-middleweight Nigel Benn rarely if ever disappointed in the action stakes.

Today, long after “The Dark Destroyer’s” final fight (a disappointing corner retirement loss to a Steve Collins who twice caught up with Benn at a time when he was way past his best) fans on both sides of The Atlantic remain interested in the whole Benn mystique. Far more than just a slugger (although Benn’s power was legendary), Nigel had heart, guts, skill and a far better chin than it was once thought (“this man ain’t chinny!” insisted former arch-rival Chris Eubank after the first of their two epic encounters had just come to it’s violent conclusion.)

There really was plenty to enjoy when Benn was in action:

Who can forget his amazing Oct. 1988 battle with Jamaican-born Anthony Logan? Defending his Commonwealth middleweight title for the first time, Benn almost came a cropper.

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TMT Approached Miguel Cotto, He Declined Their Offer

By Vitali Shaposhnikov: TMT Promotions have gained a ton of respect due to their aggressive marketing and signing of great new as well as seasoned talent. 50 Cent along with Floyd Mayweather Jr. are making a statement in the sport of boxing, and are now a direct competition to the bog boy in the promotional game, such as Golden Boy Promotions and top Rank.

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James Kirkland Wants Out Of His Golden Boy Contract, Wants To Part Ways With Trainers Ann Wolf, Pops Billingsley

By James Slater: In a surprising development, exciting southpaw slugger James Kirkland has had his lawyer file a lawsuit against his current promoters Golden Boy and his two trainers, Ann Wolf and Pops Billingsley. The news has been reported by Ringtv.com, and Kirkland, inactive since his poor performance of a DQ win over Carlos Molina (back in March of this year), may well remain on the shelf, tied up with legal wrangling as he tries to part ways with his current team.

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Oquendo Displays Bombing Power in Knockout over Hawkins

Fres Oquendo
by Pavel Yakovlev – photo by Joey Hill – Saturday night, Fres Oquendo reminded the world that he is more than just a skilled technician: he can also bang. Oquendo made his point by stopping Robert Hawkins in seven rounds, dominating the action with crackling right hands and a hurtful body attack. The early finish surprised many, as Hawkins is known for his durability. Oquendo’s speed, punching precision, and power, however, overwhelmed Hawkins and rendered a knockout unavoidable.

After battering Hawkins with jabs and well-placed body punches in the first two rounds, Oquendo shifted his attack to the head. Hawkins was knocked down twice in the third, and absorbed punishment for several more rounds before retiring at the end of the seventh. Repeatedly, the sturdy and thickset Hawkins was rocked by Oquendo’s grenade-like rights.

“I put my combinations together, and I put a lot of pressure on him,” said Oquendo. “In the third, I hit him with a left uppercut and a right, and he went down. After that, I floored him with a left to the body. My speed and power were too much for him. He was hanging in there only because he has so much heart, but my punishment made him quit.”

Particularly satisfying to Oquendo is that the victory came by knockout. “I stopped a guy that Tua couldn’t stop,” he said. “I showed everyone that not only am I a jabber and a mover, but that I have a body attack, and that I can punch.”

Oquendo is now 35-7, including 23 wins by knockout. Presently ranked 14th worldwide by the WBA, He is now seeking an elimination bout against a top contender. A native of Puerto Rico who grew up in Chicago, Oquendo holds the WBA Fedlatin title.

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From the Horse’s Mouth: Jason Gavern Assesses the Abilities of His Best Opponents

by Pavel Yakovlev: (August 19, 2012) Next month, Jason Gavern meets former IBF world cruiserweight champ Steve Cunningham in Newark, New Jersey. The bout marks Cunningham’s entre into the heavyweight division. Gavern has been selected as the opponent for a good reason: he is a tough, seasoned gatekeeper who has fought many of today’s leading heavyweights. Among Gavern’s opponents are current contenders Denis Boytsov, Mariusz Wach, Alexander Ustinov, Johnathon Banks, Franklin Lawrence, and Travis Walker. In this exclusive ESB interview, Gavern discusses his experiences with these fighters, analyzes their ring abilities, and assesses their future prospects.

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Bradley: I’m too high risk for Pacquiao

By Rob Smith: WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley says he won’t be surprised if Manny Pacquiao chooses not to fight him in a rematch in his next fight on November 10th, as Bradley feels that he’s personally too dangerous for the Filipino to risk fighting again after having suffered a huge upset loss last June in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Carl Froch vs. Nicholson Poulard possible for November

By Marcus Richardson: IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (29-2 21 KO’s) vs. light heavyweight contender Nicholson Poulard (19-3, 9 KO’s) is being talked about for Froch’s next fight in November in Nottingham. This is supposed to be Froch’s stay busy tune-up fight so it’s understandable why he might be taking on a lesser fighter compared to the guys he’s been facing recently. Poulard isn’t too well known, but he is known in Canada where he fights out of.

Poulard, 34, hasn’t been positively confirmed as Froch’s opponent as of yet, but we should know more tomorrow when Froch makes an announcement about his next opponent.

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Evander Holyfield calls out the Klitschko brothers again

Evander Holyfield calls out the Klitschko brothers againBy Rob Smith: Evander Holyfield, 49, is hoping that one of the Klitschko brothers will give him a fight so that Holyfield can try and capture another heavyweight world title before he retires someday. Holyfield hasn’t been ranked in the top tier for quite some time in the heavyweight division so it’s going to be a tad difficult for him to get one of the Klitschkos to bite on his offer.

Holyfield said to Sky Sports News “They [Klitschkos] have got an opportunity to probably make the biggest payday of their lives fighting Evander Holyfield…With the Klitshkos, they aren’t choosing to fight me, I’ve said I’ll fight them. All they got to do is realize that both of us will make money, then we’ll see who the winner is.”

Ignoring the fact that this would be terrible mismatch and the Klitschko brothers would take heaps of criticism from boxing fans if they took this fight, A fight between one of the Klitschko brothers and 49-year-old Holyfield would still do really well in Germany where the Klitschkos fight. The Klitschkos could sell out one of their 50,000 seat football stadiums if they fought Holyfield.

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