Amid conflicting reports regarding reasons for the cancellation of the Winky Wright vs. Grady Brewer Pay-Per-View show scheduled for December 11, Winky Wright has issued the following statement. “I am really disappointed the show can’t happen as I was training very hard and really wanted to get back in the ring. I was so looking forward to fighting in Puerto Rico in front of all the Puerto Rican people who are boxing fanatics and really know and appreciate the sport..
“I still am a bit shocked the show was cancelled by the promoter in Puerto Rico, but I want to make it perfectly clear it was not because I asked for millions of dollars to fight. We had done everything possible to make this show come together and I knew the financial considerations I needed to make in order for it to happen. Unfortunately now this is not the case, and I will look to find another alternative so I can fight as soon as possible. I hope that we can work something out so that I will be fighting in the early part of 2010, as I am anxious to use all the hard work and training I have already put in for this show. I just hope everyone has a great holiday season, and look for me to fight again soon after the New Year.”
MAYWEATHER AGREES TO PACQUIAO FIGHT
The potential mega bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is almost finalized according to news from Yahoo sports. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao have reportedly come to an agreement about the terms of the fight, with March 13th being the agreed upon date of the bout. The possible locations for the fight are Las Vegas, Dallas and New Orleans.
ISHE SMITH REMAINS FOCUSED ON GENNADY GOLOVKIN DESPITE PULLING OUT OF SCHEDULED BOUT WITH INJURY
(December 1, 2009) Disappointed by a doctor’s order to sit out his scheduled November 21 bout, Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith is now back in the gym, cleared by doctors to fight, and has his sights set on the one that got away. That one is Gennady Golovkin, the man he was scheduled to do battle with less than two weeks ago in Germany for Golovkin’s WBO Intercontinental Championship.
“I want to still make the Gennady Golvokin fight,” said Smith. “It is very unfortunate what happened right before the fight. I enjoyed the holidays with my friends and family, but that itch to knock him off has been bothering me and it won’t leave.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Smith (21-4, 9 KOs) is eager to get in with an opponent as lauded as Golovkin (18-0, 15 KOs), rated WBC #1, WBO #1, WBA #2, and IBF #6. In the past, Smith has earned a reputation for taking on all comers, beginning with a stint on the NBC reality hit The Contender.
In August, 2008, Smith entered the ring as a sizeable underdog against unbeaten Pawel Wolak on Showtime’s ShoBox series, but dazzled Wolak over ten rounds to earn a unanimous decision. He had, and still has, similar plans for Golovkin.
“Gennady is the only one on my mind right now,” he said. “I want to go to Germany and come back home with WBO Intercontinental Championship and his lofty rankings.”
Promoter Lou DiBella has promised to work fiercely in pursuit of rescheduling his fighter’s dream bout.
“When I see the passion Ishe has about fighting Golovkin, it makes me believe there is no way Ishe doesn’t come home to America with a win,” said DiBella. “It is my hope that Golovkin and his team still want to get this done as badly as we do.”
In the meantime, Smith will do what he has always done: keep himself available for the biggest and best fighters from 154 to 160 lbs.
“I have signed for a fight and I want to go through with that fight,” said Smith. “Let’s just wait and see if Golvokin’s team reschedules this fight or if they realize they dodged a bullet and move on.”