By James Slater:
Say what!?:
“I sparred Oliver McCall, back in September or October of last year, in [Hollywood] Florida. After just two-rounds he said ‘F**k this’ and left the gym. I have killer hands. Both of my hands are like shovels,” unbeaten Russian heavyweight hope Magomed Abdusamalov speaks to ESB about his punching power and the effects it has already had.
“He [Alfredo Angulo] had better hope he wins this in the first-round!,” trainer Ann Wolfe on her fighter James Kirkland’s Nov. 5th fight in Mexico.
“I think Tim Bradley is too tough a guy for Amir, that Khan has nothing to keep Bradley off of him,” promoter Bob Arum, speaking with Ring Magazine, gives his take on the still-to-happen Khan-Bradley fight.
“What [Floyd] Mayweather hates is Manny’s right hand. Mayweather has no chin and Manny will knock him out,” Arum again, on the fight we ALL want to see.
“I tell you, they will have to pay me what’s right to put me in, to have me come down there and all. I want at least $10,000 – after all the time they’ve made me wait. Otherwise they can mail me my fucking ring!,” retired warrior Iran Barkley speaking about his annoyance at not yet having been put in The Hall Of Fame.
“At 35, people thought I was old and then I beat Felix Trinidad. I’ve been blessed to fight for so long,” ageing legend Bernard Hopkins talking to ESPN.com on his continued ability to defy Father Time.
“Against me in my prime, they’d have been in trouble. They’re good fighters, but they know how to catch a guy at the right time – you know, making them travel, get jet lag,” former WBA heavyweight champ James “Bonecrusher” Smith on the Klitschko brothers.
“I look around and there’s no-one really out there. I think I can be champ again,” a sadly disillusioned Riddick Bowe tells Steve Bunce’s Boxing Hour about his plans to fight again next year.
“I may not look spectacular, but I will beat Khan! I will beat him. It won’t be an easy fight, I know that. He does have tremendously fast hands and he’s always in condition, but I’ve seen his weaknesses and I will exploit them in the ring,” unbeaten 140-pounder Tim Bradley, speaking to ESB in February.
“I call on Oscar De La Hoya to pick up the gloves and face me at middleweight in September,” Julio Cesar Chavez tells Fightnews.com who he’d really like to fight!
“It’s going to be difficult to beat those two – they have that long jab and Emanuel Steward has really taught [Wladimir] how to fight. The way to beat them, and I’ve said it before, is to go to the body; chop that body down. No-one does that anymore. We used to love going to the body, because when that happens the head is ready to fall,” former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney on how he’d tackle the Klitschkos.
“If I had a fighter to choose to fight against [Floyd] Mayweather, it would be one who fights like [Victor] Ortiz. Result? Tough, split decision. But Ortiz may be the winner,” boxing legend Angelo Dundee talking to Ring Magazine, and getting it wrong for once.
“You’ve got to take certain steps to get to Floyd Mayweather. If Amir Khan can get through Jessie Vargas do he have a fight with Floyd Mayweather? Absolutely,” Floyd Mayweather lays down his terms in speaking to ES News.
“Against [Andre] Ward, I’m going to connect with a hurtful shot on the jaw section of the cranium and do so serious damage,” former WBC super-middleweight king Carl Froch gives his (wrong) pre-fight prediction to Sky Sports.
“I think he’s going to go to war. I can see it in his eyes, he genuinely despises me and that always makes for a tremendous fight,” David Haye speaking with Sky Sports ahead of his much-hyped fight with Wladimir Klitschko – and getting it wrong.
“I can’t wait to get Wladimir Klitschko across the ring so that I can run across and absolutely tear his head off. As long as there is a referee who can count to ten, I will be champion,” Haye speaks to Sky again, and is wrong again!
“I still go to the fights. I think Floyd Mayweather is the best thing that ever happened to boxing. I think Floyd’s the best fighter ever!,” Junior Jones, speaking to ESB back in May.
“When money, big money, is put on the table, fights get made. Floyd has said it’s his dream to fight in the U.K and this fight would be a great fight for me and for the U.K. When has the U.K had a fight this big?,” Amir Khan speaking to ESB earlier this year.
“I miss Joe Frazier,” heavyweight legend George Foreman keeps it simple when speaking on Joe Frazier’s sad death.
“Another mighty oak has fallen,” Foreman again, on the passing of another great in Ron Lyle.
“I will attack until Mayweather is gone,” Pound-for-Pound king Manny Pacquiao tells Mike Marley how he would fight Floyd Mayweather.
After the fight, they won’t be able to recognise him. I’ll beat him up just like I did [Vassiliy] Jirov, maybe worse,” James Toney gives ESB his pre-fight prediction; one that Denis Lebedev easily defied.
“David is world famous. He touched me personally. If I have a chance I’ll be happy to send him to the floor,” WBC heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko tells BBC Sport what a fight with David Haye means to him.