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Jul 24, 2005
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ANDRE WARD DISCUSSES HIS FUTURE PLANS, CRITICS, AND MUCH MORE: "WE'RE NOT DUCKING ANY OF THESE GUYS"
By Ben Thompson | August 16, 2013

"I understand how this business is and I understand I gotta be ready for anything. We're not ducking and dodging anybody; from the Stevensons to the Golovkins to the Froch, who really doesn't want to fight. We're not ducking any of these guys, so if they want me to keep fighting lions and bears, I just gotta be ready for the lions and bears," stated undefeated and undisputed super middleweight king Andre Ward, who had a lot to say about his future plans and much during a recent appearance on FightHype Radio earlier this week. You don't want to miss what else he had to say. Check it out!

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT KING ANDRE WARD:

On his future plans...

That's the question. That is the question. I mean, as far as me, I just want my fans to know, and just people in general, that I'm healthy, I'm strong. I've really been actually ready to fight, or at least go to camp for a fight, for the last few months. I can't dig into the situation right now. Probably by the end of the week I will be able to dig into the situation and talk more names and who the network, HBO, is trying to get me to fight and what's the hold-up and what the issue is, but right now, my team is just doing their job. My team is, you know, right now Dan Goossen, my co-promoter Antonio Leonard, and my manager James Prince. I mean, they're fighting for me like I'm the number 2 fighter in the world, which they're supposed to be doing, and that's all we ask for. So in the meantime, I have to stay ready and that's what I'm doing. Just know that I'm healthy and I'm strong and I've been ready for the last few months to fight. I'm just waiting on the business side to work itself out.

On his recovery from shoulder surgery...

I've had an existing injury since I've been a young kid. I've had a partially rotator since I've been 12. What we did was we just dealt with it. We built the muscles up around the rotator and we just did what we had to do. With it further getting injured, the doc said, "Hey, let me go in here and I can fix this." And he went in and fixed it, so I got a lot of pop in my right hand now, a lot of pop that I didn't have, a lot of different sorts of punches that I couldn't throw, and, man, I'm excited.

On potential future opponents...

I'm ready to fight anybody. Regardless of how you feel, you gotta respect the injury, and that's what my team and I have talked about and that's what we're in the process of doing. I mean, I don't think I've had a soft touch since 2009, and we're not even asking right now or pushing for a soft touch. We're just asking for the right situation to move us into a position for bigger and better situations. You know, there's been a few names that have been thrown out there that we've been trying to fight and they haven't been fully accurate, and I don't know who's been putting those rumors out there. Some of the names that they threw out, like [Dimitri] Sartison, that was legitimate. That was a name that we felt was a solid, good comeback. The dude is a former world champion, he's only lost to two champions, and he's going to bring it. He's the type of guy who's going to try to push me; anybody that fights for the title, they're going to step their game up. That was one of the names, but there's other names that we brought up, you know, internally; me and my team. At the end of the day, I understand how this business is and I understand I gotta be ready for anything. We're not ducking and dodging anybody; from the Stevensons to the Golovkins to the Froch, who really doesn't want to fight. We're not ducking any of these guys, so if they want me to keep fighting lions and bears, I just gotta be ready for the lions and bears.

On critics of certain fighters and certain styles of fighting...

Boxing is going through a fad over the last 10 years, or something like that, with the inception and the growth of MMA where if it's not a blood bath, if it's not two guys cut, busted up, both guys going to the hospital, then it's not, quote-unquote, an exciting fight. And if you look at the number one and the number two pound-for-pound fighters in the world, they've both been accused of the same things, so in my opinion, there's something wrong with that picture. That's not a reflection on the fighters. That's a reflection on the sport. When you got your number one and your number two not getting the respect that they deserve, then that's a reflection on the sport. And furthermore, I don't have to answer to any of these people because, you know, a lot of the people that are trying to push that agenda; see, it's people, it's certain websites that have agendas, it's certain website guys or website writers who have agendas, and the fans know who they are. If you always talk bad about a particular fighter, fans aren't stupid; they know that. And then always talk good about another type of fighter or a type of style of fighter; a lot of times, they guys that are really pushing that agenda, they've never fought a day in their life, but they gotta understand, I know what it feels like to be cut and to be stitched up. I know what it feels like to be dropped, to be buzzed in a fight. I know what it feels like to get up from being dropped and to keep fighting and finish. I know what it feels like to be in a 12-round, grueling fight and can't get out of bed the next day. I know what that feels like. I've been in this sport 20 years and I've paid my dues and I'ma continue to pay my dues, so I don't pay a lot of that stuff a lot of mind. I honestly stopped reading websites, except FightHype, a long time ago because just because you get a domain name and start a website, doesn't make you a boxing excerpt. It's no longer people just giving a clear, honest, you know, assessment of what's going on or breaking down a particular fight or fighter. It's very personal. "I don't like this guy because of this" or "I don't like that guy because of that". Well, that's not what boxing is about. Imagine how Muhammad Ali would've been treated in this day, dancing and floating around the ring the way he did sometimes not even throwing a punch. So is he not exciting? But we call him the greatest fighter of all time. We have Floyd Mayweather, who's a living legend in our sport right now, and they say he's not exciting? I mean, that's not a reflection on us. We paid our dues. That's a reflection on some of the guys that are writing that stuff...It's part of the game, and I agree with you, I do appreciate those guys because I'm not fighting right now and I do appreciate the extra buzz; because for them not liking me as much as they say they do, they're talking about me often, so I do appreciate that.

I respect the fighters who may not have the skill level to get out of the way, right. I respect that. I respect how they get down, but don't expect everybody to fight like that, and right now, boxing is turning into if it's not that, it's not exciting, and man, that's not what boxing was built on. Boxing...and you guys know my style. I don't run around the ring. Most of the time, I'm the aggressor. When I first came into the pro game, they said I had an amateur style. Then they said I couldn't take a punch. Then they said I couldn't punch. And then they said I'd never be a champion. So they gotta find something, and all of those things that they said over the years, they were wrong, so they have to find something. Now they say I can't sell tickets, but a lot of the writers that wrote that, they were in the arena that night and they know what type of crowd; we had almost 10,000 people and that's word of mouth. That's not some major, blown-out promotion in the surrounding cities. And they know that, but they'll say, "It was a modest crowd." Or they'll take a performance like that and say, "Oh, you know, he's good, but..." So it's jut the nature of the beast, so you deal with it. You let it motivate you
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Stevenson vs Cloud: Jean Pascal, Eleider Alvarez possible to return on undercard

By Scott Christ S @scott christBLH on Aug 16 2013, 10:23a 5
USA TODAY Sports
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GYM looking to stack card with former light heavyweight champ and rising prospect.

Jean Pascal and Eleider Alvarez may be part of the September 28 undercard at the Bell Centre in Montreal, beneath the main event that evening pitting WBC light heavyweight champ Adonis Stevenson against Tavoris Cloud. HBO will televise that fight.

Pascal (27-2-1, 16 KO) last fought on December 14, 2012, beating Aleksy Kuziemski with relative ease, but also suffering a shoulder injury in what was his first fight since losing the 175-pound crown to Bernard Hopkins in May 2011. The 30-year-old Pascal has mostly attended events and worn cool sunglasses since the loss to B-Hop, but he was slated to face Lucian Bute in May of this year before Bute pulled out of that fight with an injury. Bute-Pascal is now tentatively set for January 18, 2014, and promoter Yvon Michel would like to have Pascal shake off some ring rust; Pascal, of course, would like to do that, too.

If Pascal is fit and healthy to fight on September 28, it sounds like he will. As for Alvarez (12-0, 8 KO), he's an exciting fighter on the rise, a native Colombian based in Montreal. At 29, he's a potential player in the light heavyweight division sooner than later. He's got power, he's got skills, and he's fun to watch so far. We're certainly a ways off from him showing real contender potential, but he's marched through decent competition thus far, including Shawn Hawk, Nicholson Poulard, Danny McIntosh, and Rayco Saunders.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Rumor Mill - Golvkin Vs Stevens Possible on Nov 2??

Discussion in 'Latest News & Headlines' started by Carlos Sanchez, Today at 12:16 PM.

by Carlos Sanchez, Aug 19, 2013 at 12:16 PM

Middleweight standout Curtis "Showtime" Stevens has reportedly reached a deal to challenge the undefeated belt holder Nov. 2 on HBO.Kathy Duva, president of Main Events, could not be reached for immediate comment.

Duva was in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, where her fighter, Sergey Kovalev, scored a fourth-round knockout that dethroned Nathan Cleverly as WBO light heavyweight titleholder.

Stevens (25-3, 18 knockouts) caught the boxing world's attention by calling out Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs) 10 days prior to his first-round stoppage of Saul Roman, after which one would think Stevens might get his wish. Boxrec.com is also listing the fight as happening on Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden.

Stevens had said that Golovkin would be the most enticing of the division's beltholders, targeting him over RING and WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez as well as IBF and WBO counterparts Daniel Geale and Peter Quillen. Against Roman, Stevens came up with his fourth-straight win, three of which have been first-round KOs, while Golovkin scored his 14th-straight knockout in June against Matthew Macklin.

Stay tuned fans, this could be a barn burner and quite a challenge for GGG, whom has looked scary good in his fights.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Nathan Cleverly: 'I've always said as soon as I lose in boxing I will get out of the sport'

By Scott Christ S @scott christBLH on Aug 19 2013, 1:53p 12
Matthew Horwood
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Will Nathan Cleverly continue his boxing career after his loss to Sergey Kovalev? The fighter isn't sure, as he says in a revealing interview at Boxing News.
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Nathan Cleverly isn't quite sure if he plans to continue his boxing career or stick to his old claim that he'd retire when he lost a fight, as he tells Boxing News' Tris Dixon in a revealing interview following this past Saturday's crushing loss to Sergey Kovalev.

"What's my gut instinct now? Just live a bit. Live a bit for a couple of months with friends, with family, have a few drinks, have a bit of junk food, have a few nights out, go on holiday. You know, your instinct will guide you. I've always said as soon as I lose in boxing I will get out of the sport. Do I stick to that? Who knows. We'll see."

Cleverly (26-1, 12 KO) is still only 26 years old, and as he says, his loss to Kovalev (22-0-1, 20 KO) isn't exactly devastating, in that it doesn't mean he can't fight. He didn't lose to a journeyman or one of his soft touches -- he didn't lose to Shawn Hawk, in other words, he lost to a top fighter.

Cleverly adds that he believes some of the criticism of his previous fights is owed in part to the fact that he's tied to Frank Warren, the crusty old dean that he is:

"You look at The Ring magazine top 10 and Kovalev's the third top 10 guy I've fought in The Ring magazine rankings and that takes all the rankings in order, that's Kovalev, Bellew and Murat and I've fought three of them and I'm one of the top 10, too. That's not bad going. In fairness, a lot of people tar me because I'm a Frank Warren fighter, I think I get tarred with that brush and obviously there may have been a few soft defences in there which are no fault of my own. If I had my way, I would have been straight to the unification fights."

"Obviously there may have been"? There obviously, absolutely, without any question were. Krasniqi wasn't Cleverly's fault; that was a mandatory. Frankly, I don't believe any of them were Cleverly's fault. But he was handled with kid gloves following the scare against Tony Bellew, and there's no defending Tommy Karpency and Shawn Hawk (or Ryan Coyne, the guy Hawk replaced) as world title challengers if you're looking at this as a sport, analytically. The given excuse here that those fights are some nice, easy money is not an excuse, even, it's a rationalization, and that's fine. Fair play.

But it's not just that Frank Warren is the promoter, it's that the fights were lousy and never for a second seemed competitive on paper, which followed up in the ring. For as nice a little relaxing payday they may have been for Cleverly, they were also fights that just didn't mean much of anything, and resulted in Cleverly being totally out of his depth against Kovalev. He was absolutely exposed in this fight. There's no getting around it.

Would Clev have fought Shumenov or Cloud or anyone else? I'm sure he would have. I've got no reason to believe that Nathan Cleverly didn't want those big fights straight away. He didn't shy away from signing up to fight Kovalev. No one ordered him to do it. It wasn't a mandatory. But the fact is that what came before gave him no useful experience for a step-up fight. There's a big gulf between Krasniqi, Hawk, Karpency and Kovalev. And there's a big gulf from the fights Cleverly says he wanted -- Shumenov, Cloud, Hopkins, Dawson, whatever -- and the fights he actually wound up taking. There was room in the middle there.

But that's neither here nor there at this point, either. I don't think there's any reason to dislike Nathan Cleverly. He's an honest guy, a great interview as we can see here, and he was an incredibly gracious loser this weekend. If he fights on, there's no reason he can't get back into the title mix at 175. If he doesn't, then he doesn't. That's his decision.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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DANNY GARCIA ON LUCAS MATTHYSSE: "HE'S FIGHTING A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL...I'M THE BETTER FIGHTER"
By Ben Thompson | August 19, 2013

"He's fighting a whole different animal this fight and he's going to know it that night. I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to win, you understand. If that's what I gotta do, then that's what I gotta do...He knocked out people he was supposed to knock out, you know what I'm saying, and I knocked out people I wasn't supposed to knock out, so if you look at it that way, I'm the better fighter...To be honest with you, I have no pressure going into this fight. I'm just relaxed, I'm calm, and I don't have no pressure on me. He's the one who's got a lot behind him. He's the one that's gotta prove to the world. I ain't gotta prove nothing. He's the one that's hyped up right now, so I'm just going in there and being me," stated undefeated WBC & WBA jr. welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who talked about his upcoming September 14 showdown with top challenger Lucas Matthysse. Check out what else he had to say about the fight, Matthysse, and much more!

BT: What's up, DSG?

DG: What's up, man? How you doing?

BT: Just trying to stay on my grind like you.

DG: (Laughing) Yeah, I just got done working out.

BT: I heard. That's wassup. So tell us about it! September 14! Garcia vs. Matthysse! You're the unified, undisputed jr. welterweight champion of the world and you're in the driver's seat. You didn't necessarily have to face Matthysse, yet you insisted on making this fight. In fact, according to Leonard Ellerbe and Richard Schaefer, you guys were blowing up Al Haymon's phone to get this fight. Why was this particular fight so important to you?

DG: I mean, it's the fight that the media wanted, it's the fight that the network wanted, and it's the fight that the fans wanted. It's what everybody wanted, so that's what I wanted. He's got enough buzz right now. I mean, he came up with a couple of victories, so his name is buzzing right now in the boxing world. They got excited over his couple of knockouts. You know how the momentum is in boxing; the fans, the media, when they see somebody do good, they automatically get all hype and they jump on top of them. They made it a big thing, so the same way they made it a big thing, they had to come with everything I wanted. You know, they wanted to make a big fight, so you have to come with the big money to have a big fight. The money had to be right, everything had to be right, and it was, so, you know, we made it a big fight.

BT: When they came to you with the fight, did you know they had plans to put it on Floyd Mayweather's pay-per-view?

DG: Nah, I think my original date was September 7th, but the negotiations was taking long, so it forced it to another date. If I would've forced it to another date, then this fight would've never happened; I would've fought somebody else, so they had to put it on the Floyd card.

BT: Where were you when you got the word that the fight was a done deal?

DG: I think I was in the gym. They accepted the fight and Sam [Watson] called my dad and said it was on. So I was in the gym when they told me it was official. We talked later that night to go over all the details and it was a go from there.

BT: Obviously you guys have done pleny of homework on Matthysse. What kind of fight are you expecting from him come September 14?

DG: Um, you know, he comes forward, he's strong, he's a pretty good counter puncer; he tries to catch you on the end of his punches. You know, he's a good fighter and I'm not taking nothing away from him. He's good and I'm great, and that's going to be the difference that night.

BT: He's got two losses to Judah and Alexander, who used a specific game plan against him. I'm sure you guys have studied those tapes. Seeing how they handled Matthysse, does that change the way you might approach this fight as far as your own game plan is concerned? Obviously I don't expect you to give away your game plan, but I ask that just because I know you can box a lot more than you've shown in recent fights.

DG: Um, you know, I know they did outbox him and they gave him some problems. I can do the same thing, but he's fighting a whole different type of animal this fight. You can take away from it and learn off of it and look at what gave him problems, you know, angles and a little bit of movement, but he's fighting a whole different animal this fight and he's going to know it that night. I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to win, you understand. If that's what I gotta do, then that's what I gotta do. It's easy to say that because I'm not in the fight yet, but let's see what happens when the fight unfolds and I gotta make my adjustments and get the job done like a champion.

BT: How's everything been going with the drug testing. You've already had a couple of tests, right?

DG: Yeah, I took two tests the last two weeks. You know, the protocol is when I get tested, he gets tested. So far, everything's good.

BT: Do they give you any proof, like some type of documentation showing that he's been tested, or do you just have to trust that they're doing it based on the fact that they said it's protocol?

DG: They don't give you proof until after the fight. They email you all the test dates, so you won't know until after the fight. When I fought Khan, when I fought Morales, when I fought Judah, we all took USADA tests and when they emailed it back to me, we all did the same amount of tests.

BT: Did the experience you went through in the Morales fight, with him failing those tests, make you realize even more just how important this is for you guys to be participating in these stricter testing procedures?

DG: Man, it's real important just to keep the sport clean. At the end of the day, you're fighting and it's very important to have no advantages because people can die in the ring. It's happened in the past, you know. Fighters juice up or they do anything just to get the upper advantage and somebody could die. So it's important just to clean up the sport and give our sport a good name. It's very important, but every fighter can't do it because they might not have the politics behind them or they might not be the champ, and if you're not the champ, you can't make no calls.

BT: You were at Matthysse's last fight when he knocked out Peterson. It was a good knockout, but it was nothing you haven't seen before or actually done yourself. Is it...

DG: (Cutting in) When I do it, it's lucky.

BT: (Laughing) You took the words right out of my mouth. For whatever reason, some folks in the media don't really want to give you the same type of credit that they give Matthysse. I don't really understand that.

DG: Yeah, I don't either. That's why I really don't get caught up in the media. Like I said before, they pick who they want to win and when it don't go that way, they make up excuses why you won. That's why I don't even feed into that.

BT: No doubt. But are you surprised at how the media has chosen to paint Matthysse as some sort of indestructable knockout artist based on what he did to opponents like Peterson, Jones, and Ajose, yet they don't seem to paint that same picture of you, despite the fact that you're the one who is undefeated and looked just as or even more devastating against the likes of Morales and Khan.

DG: You know how the media is, man. They tend to hop on the foreign people. They hype them up. It's just the way the politics of the sport is, you know. Like I said, if somebody gets a quick knockout, they hop on top of them and hype them up. He knocked out people he was supposed to knock out, you know what I'm saying, and I knocked out people I wasn't supposed to knock out, so if you look at it that way, I'm the better fighter. Everybody they put in front of him, he was supposed to beat. Even when they did put fighters in front of him he was supposed to beat, he lost.

BT: The irony though is that you are the best in the division right now, yet you have some media outlets, like Ring Magazine, who would rather feature Matthysse on their cover, or ESPN, who have him ranked ahead of you.

DG: I really don't care what kind of credit I get. I'm just in my own lane. I'm doing my own thing and I'm just going to continue to keep winning and proving to the world that I'm the best. That's some disrespect, but it's cool; I ain't worried about that. I don't buy that magazine anyway.

BT: (Laughing) I was talking to Andre Ward the other day about that kind of disrespect and he told me it keeps a chip on his shoulders and helps make him a better fighter. Do you look at it the same way, like it's an advantage when you step into the ring?

DG: No doubt. It keeps you motivated. As far as Andre Ward, I feel that he's one of the most underated champions in boxing. I mean, he's rated high in the pound-for-pound, but as far as exposure and people knowing him and the fan base, he's definitely underated. He's definitely one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. But yeah, it definitely keeps me motivated, keeps me hungry, keeps me strong, and it just makes me keep winning. To be honest with you, I have no pressure going into this fight. I'm just relaxed, I'm calm, and I don't have no pressure on me. He's the one who's got a lot behind him. He's the one that's gotta prove to the world. I ain't gotta prove nothing. He's the one that's hyped up right now, so I'm just going in there and being me.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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MIKE TYSON: "I WANT GUYS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO WIN AND REALLY DESPISE THEIR OPPONENTS"
By Percy Crawford | August 20, 2013

"I want guys who are determined to win and really despise their opponents and want to win. And it's not about being a violent guy and being politically correct. You have to want to win and be determined to win and maybe that's just the way I want to be. I was an insecure kid, never had nothing in life. I was just so desperate to win, and that's the kind of fighters I am looking for; determined fighters who their whole existence is just to win and be world champion," stated Hall of Fame former undisputed heavyweight world champion turned promoter Mike Tyson, who talked about his upcoming August 23 promotional debut. Check out what else he had to say!

PC: Where does becoming a promoter rank as far as your career accomplishments?

MT: Hey, I don't know. I don't rank myself in that particular perspective, but my success is based on me being a respectable and responsible parent, not cheating on my wife, giving her a venereal disease, not getting locked up or getting in fights, and just being a responsible citizen in society. Those are my success stories. That's success to me. Being a famous guy and winning awards is something that I am very grateful for to be able to do, but that's not necessarily my success. That's not success to me.

PC: You will showcase your champion Argenis Mendez on Friday night.

MT: (Cutting in) Yeah!!!

PC: Are you content with the stable of fighters that you currently have or are you looking to add to that stable?

MT: Absolutely I'm always looking for great talent; great and exciting talent that really wanna win. I want guys who are determined to win and really despise their opponents and want to win. And it's not about being a violent guy and being politically correct. You have to want to win and be determined to win and maybe that's just the way I want to be. I was an insecure kid, never had nothing in life. I was just so desperate to win, and that's the kind of fighters I am looking for; determined fighters who their whole existence is just to win and be world champion.

PC: We have heard phrases like "the next Michael Jordan" and "the next Mike Tyson" or "that guy is little Tyson". Do you get a chuckle out of that or have you ever kind of looked at someone and said, "Maybe this guy is the next version of me"?

MT: No. The only guy that that will ever happen to is the guy who wants to surpass me and be better than me, and then that's when you are gonna see the guy that people think is the next Mike Tyson. He has to want to surpass me. You can't have a guy that wants to be like me that's gonna be the next star. You gotta want to surpass me and want to crush all of my records and stand supreme.

PC: I have to ask you this because I think your perspective on fighters is always pretty spot on. When you look at Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather individually, I look at how long Floyd has been able to remain consistent as the reason why he is a special fighter and Manny's ability to capture an entire country is his special quality. In your eyes, what makes those two guys so special?

MT: What makes Floyd so successful is experience, cultivation as a baby, and being a little boy doing it. He was associated with very successful fighters at a young age; his uncle, his father, and guys like Tommy Hearns. He's been around some very successful fighters his whole life, and with his hard work, that's almost like something that he inherited. And with Manny Pacquiao, the way he fights, you can feel his passion. Floyd is very controlled with his emotions. You don't feel for him like you feel for Pacquiao because it's more controlled. Floyd is more of a controlled guy. He is very talented and sophisticated with no feelings or emotions. Manny is more passionate, and as human beings, we love that passion and emotion.

PC: With your knowledge of the fight game, I always imagined you as a commentator or a trainer if you were to get directly involved in the sport again. Although you are a promoter, do you see yourself one day going in one of the directions I just mentioned?

MT: No, I love promoting 100%, but eventually I'm going to move down and be a trainer. I want to be a trainer. I'm not no money guy. I want to make money and be successful financially, but I like being dirty with the fighters and I like to tell them stories and let them know how the old fighters were desperate and that's why they had such desire. When guys in the old days fought, they fought for food and not money; guys in the 1900's, 20's and 30's, and even in the 40's. Black fighters and Jewish fighters, they fought for food. Guys weren't going to give them no money. Back then, you weren't going to give no Jew or black no money. They fought for food.

PC: I interviewed Lennox Lewis awhile back and he said if you guys had the 24/7's and All Access shows that these fighters have right now, you guys would have broke the bank. Do you believe that as well, being that you were one of the greatest self-promoters ever?

MT: Hey, that stuff wasn't meant to be. We were meant to do better things than that. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing now. We were meant to do great things and it wasn't meant for us back then to make all of that money; that's why in the beginning, you get educated. And that's what happened, even as I was getting abused, I got educated for my abuse and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing, so fighters don't end up like me at the end of the day. At the end of the day, they won't say, "What the hell happened? Where is my friends?" And that's what happened.

PC: I have kept you long enough. I really appreciate your time and I wish you the best of luck with your promotion and all upcoming events. Please bring some shows to Louisiana and Mississippi area.

MT: Ah, thanks brotha. We are gonna do Tunica.
 
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KOVALEV'S TRAINER, JACKSON, WANTS HOPKINS AND WARD: "KOVALEV WOULD BEAT THE BRAKES OFF OF BERNARD"
By Percy Crawford | August 20, 2013

"The fight we want at the end of the day, or our goal so to speak, was or would not have been Bernard Hopkins. Yes, Bernard is a future Hall of Fame boxer, but honestly, at this stage of his career, if Bernard stepped into the ring with Sergey Kovalev, it would be Bernard's last fight because Sergey Kovalev would beat the brakes off of Bernard Hopkins," stated world-class trainer John David Jackson, who wasn't shy about voicing his opinion that his fighter, newly-crowned WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalez, is the best fighter in the division. Jackson is so confident in his fighter's skills that he strongly believes Kovalez will be the man to finally convince the living legend Hopkins to hang up his gloves for good.

"Now people, especially B-Hop fans, will say that I'm crazy. But if I only know one thing it's boxing. I do know boxing and I know Hopkins more than some other people in the game today. Bernard does not carry the firepower to keep this young man off of him. He does possess boxing smarts and craftiness, but the ability to fight hard, and more importantly take and endure punishment for 12 rounds...NO! Bernard cannot do that. Now I hear that he's been talking a whole lot of smack. Well, all he has to do is after he beats his mandatory challenger, don't talk; just sign the contract and meet Sergey in the ring," Jackson stated, essentially throwing down the gauntlet at the feet of Hopkins, a man that Jackson himself once fought and then later helped train.

"The two fights that makes sense down the road for Sergey and fight fans are Adonis Stevenson and Andre Ward; Stevenson because he is a very dangerous puncher. I trained Adonis for one fight and he has the same punching power as Sergey, but his defense is very shaky and his chin is suspect," Jackson explained, making it clear that the younger, hard-hitting Adonis Stevenson may even be an easier taks that Hopkins for Kovalev. In fact, not only does Jackson believe that Kovalez is the best fighter in the light heavyweight division, but he also thinks he's one of the best fighters pound-for-pound, and he's willing to test that theory against the man many consider to be the second best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, super middleweight king Andre Ward.

"Andre Ward has cleaned out the 168-pound division and it is time to move up. Andre is a very good boxer and very good at making his opponents fight at his pace. He will be tested all too well in a bout with Sergey at 175. The major difference is Sergey can punch and Ward can't, at least not hard enough to get Sergey's respect, and if you can't get this guy's respect, phew, you are in for a long night," Jackson continued. "His trainer, Virgil Hunter, thinks that all Sergey has is power, but Sergey would bring more than just punching power to the dance. Sergey is an intelligent and smart boxer and if one took time to study Sergey's style, they would see that Sergey sets up all of his opponents before the kill. It would be very interesting to see if a good boxer like Ward with limited power tries to stay out of the line of fire for 12 rounds. I like Andre; I just think this is the kind of boxing match that fight fans would want to see."
 
May 13, 2002
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Khan and Alexander agree December date as Dubai and New York bid to host clash

Amir Khan will challenge for Devon Alexander's world welterweight title on December 7 in either Dubai or New York.

Both fighters have agreed to the bout but promoter Richard Schaefer is awaiting confirmation that the Middle East city has the capacity to stage the event.
If not, New York's Barclays Centre will play host to the clash for the IBF strap.

'Both of them want to fight this year,' Schaefer said.
Khan has long called for the fight to be held in Dubai but Alexander has taken more convincing.
The American has won four consecutive fights, including a split decision victory over hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse and a unanimous decision over Marcos Maidana, who brawled with Khan in 2010.
Alexander was last in action against Lee Purdy in May when the Brit retired after the seventh round.

Khan, meanwhile, will make his welterweight debut following his catch-weight victory over Julio Diaz.
He said: 'I do have a lot of fans in the Middle East and especially in the UAE. Maybe he does feel that everyone will be against him if we fight in Dubai. But I can assure it will be a fair fight, obviously. If it happens, it will be a global event.
'They are doing big things in Dubai and UAE and it will be beneficial for all … if we fight in Dubai.'
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Roy Jones Jr: Bernard Hopkins would still beat Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson

By Scott Christ S @scott christBLH on Aug 20 2013, 3:45p 22
Ethan Miller
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Though they're younger and have big punching power, Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson would still fall short against 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins, according to Roy Jones Jr.

Former pound-for-pound ruler and current HBO boxing analyst Roy Jones Jr has had his differences and disagreements, to say the least, with long-time rival Bernard Hopkins. The two first fought in 1993, when Jones handily outpointed Hopkins over 12 rounds, then rematched in 2010, well past Jones' expiration date, with Bernard evening the score with his own dominant points win.

But though the two of them haven't always seen eye-to-eye, there has always been a genuine respect for the other man's strengths. Where Jones thrived due to athletic ability and supreme confidence before his physical gifts faded, Hopkins has become a living legend due to a dogged determination and tenacity the likes of which are rarely seen in any fighter.

And Jones, now 44, believes that 48-year-old Hopkins would still be too smart and too crafty for rising power punching light heavyweights Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson.

"Bernard is a very smart, very safe fighting guy. He is not going to come out and try to look overwhelmingly impressive against either one of them. He is going to go out there [fight his fight] and I guarantee that by the end of the day the judges will be calling his name and say he won the fight, because he is not going to take no chances, no gambles - and he don't care what you think about him. And it's smart of him. He's going to say 'I'm 48 years old, why should I take that risk?' He is not going to do that. He is going to outwait them, outlast them, and I think beat them."

In recent years, more aggressive fighters such as Kelly Pavlik, Jean Pascal, and Tavoris Cloud, all in their prime years, have been picked apart by Hopkins masterful brand of mind games and ring IQ. Kovalev and Stevenson may well be bigger punchers than any of those guys, but would they have the ability to handle Hopkins' intelligence and tactical fighting? Could they land cleanly enough on the old man to do their damage, or would he be able to outsmart them the way he's done other younger, physically stronger opponents?
 
Feb 3, 2006
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Roy Jones Jr: Bernard Hopkins would still beat Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson

By Scott Christ S @scott christBLH on Aug 20 2013, 3:45p 22
Ethan Miller
Stay connected

Though they're younger and have big punching power, Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson would still fall short against 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins, according to Roy Jones Jr.

Former pound-for-pound ruler and current HBO boxing analyst Roy Jones Jr has had his differences and disagreements, to say the least, with long-time rival Bernard Hopkins. The two first fought in 1993, when Jones handily outpointed Hopkins over 12 rounds, then rematched in 2010, well past Jones' expiration date, with Bernard evening the score with his own dominant points win.

But though the two of them haven't always seen eye-to-eye, there has always been a genuine respect for the other man's strengths. Where Jones thrived due to athletic ability and supreme confidence before his physical gifts faded, Hopkins has become a living legend due to a dogged determination and tenacity the likes of which are rarely seen in any fighter.

And Jones, now 44, believes that 48-year-old Hopkins would still be too smart and too crafty for rising power punching light heavyweights Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson.

"Bernard is a very smart, very safe fighting guy. He is not going to come out and try to look overwhelmingly impressive against either one of them. He is going to go out there [fight his fight] and I guarantee that by the end of the day the judges will be calling his name and say he won the fight, because he is not going to take no chances, no gambles - and he don't care what you think about him. And it's smart of him. He's going to say 'I'm 48 years old, why should I take that risk?' He is not going to do that. He is going to outwait them, outlast them, and I think beat them."

In recent years, more aggressive fighters such as Kelly Pavlik, Jean Pascal, and Tavoris Cloud, all in their prime years, have been picked apart by Hopkins masterful brand of mind games and ring IQ. Kovalev and Stevenson may well be bigger punchers than any of those guys, but would they have the ability to handle Hopkins' intelligence and tactical fighting? Could they land cleanly enough on the old man to do their damage, or would he be able to outsmart them the way he's done other younger, physically stronger opponents?
I would love to see old man B-Hop fight him.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Lucas Matthysse - Garcia Fight will be the fight of my life

Discussion in 'Latest News & Headlines' started by Carlos Sanchez, Today at 7:54 AM.

by Carlos Sanchez, Aug 21, 2013 at 7:54 AM

Lucas Matthysse has won six straight, all by knockout, heading into his Sept. 14 clash on Showtime Pay Per View against RING, WBA and WBC junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia with four of those victories having happened in the United States.

Coming off of a third-round knockout of IBF 140-pound beltholder Lamont Peterson in a non-title bout in May. Matthysse will look to take the judges out of the equation against Garcia (26-0, 16 KOs), whom he will face in the co-feature to Mayweather vs.Alvarez - "The One" fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas."I would be on top of the world," said Matthysse, during a recent conference call. "It would be the best fight of my life."

Garcia, in turn, said Matthysse will feel his power, adding that " If he is not careful, he's gonna get hurt."

"On September 14th I'm going to prove myself to Danny," said Matthysse. "That's going to be the proof of (my power) when he feels my punches and sees if they're strong enough or not."

Fight Fans, if you want to see a hell of scrap make sure and tune in on September 14, this fight along with the main event will be one for the ages.