Boxing News Thread
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I'm sure he's getting paid well for it but kind of an underwhelming fight for Stevenson. There's other good LHWs out there to defend against. On the bright side we get to see Beterbiev on Showtime and Bizier/JoJo Dan II if it happens would be a cool fight.
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Light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson declined to finalize big-time fall unification showdowns with both Sergey Kovalev and Bernard Hopkins -- who will instead fight each other Nov. 8 -- and also failed to come to terms with former champion Jean Pascal for what would be a major fight between two of Montreal's biggest name boxers.
So instead of a significant fight, Stevenson will settle for making the fourth defense of his crown against the obscure Dmitry Sukhotsky on Dec. 19 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Yvon Michel, Stevenson's promoter, said Monday. The fight will headline a Showtime-televised card.
Two news conferences to announce the fight are scheduled for Nov. 5, one in the morning in Quebec City and one in the afternoon in Montreal, Michel said.
Despite a very limited resume, Sukhotsky (22-2, 16 KOs), 33, of Russia, will be getting his second crack at a 175-pound world title. In December 2009, he lost a unanimous decision challenging Juergen Braehmer for his belt in Germany.
Sukhotsky's other loss came by near-shutout 12-round decision to Cornelius White in Las Vegas in July 2012. Sukhotsky has won four fights in a row since, but all against lowly regarded opposition.
"I'm expecting the guy to come well prepared. He has his chance to win the world title," Michel told ESPN.com. "I believe it will be an entertaining fight. Adonis is always in an entertaining fight. The guy, Sukhotsky, likes to trade with his opponents.
"The best contender would have been Jean Pascal, but there were circumstances we coudn't avoid. But Adonis is dedicated to fight Pascal next. He's his mandatory if he beats Sukhotsky, and that will be a huge, huge fight in Montreal."
The 37-year-old Stevenson (24-1, 20 KOs) burst on the world stage in 2013, one fight after avenging a 2010 second-round knockout loss to journeyman Darnell Boone. After Stevenson stopped Boone in the sixth round of their rematch, he got a shot at the world title and blitzed champion Chad Dawson, knocking him out with a tremendous left hand in just 76 seconds.
Later in 2013, Stevenson recorded knockout wins in title defenses against former titleholder Tavoris Cloud and mandatory challenger Tony Bellew, seemingly setting the stage for a much-anticipated showdown with Kovalev.
Kovalev and HBO both said that the deal for a fight this fall had been agreed to with each fighter getting an interim bout before their meeting, which would have been this month. Kovalev knocked out Cedric Agnew in March, but days before the fight Stevenson left HBO for Showtime, killing the fight with Kovalev.
Stevenson and his camp -- Michel and adviser Al Haymon -- claimed the deal with HBO was not done when Stevenson accepted a deal at Showtime, which put on what was supposed to be his interim bout before Kovalev against Andrzej Fonfara in May. Stevenson, a southpaw, dominated the first seven rounds, dropping him twice and opening a cut over his right eye. But Fonfara battled back, dropped Stevenson in the ninth round and had him in huge trouble down the stretch before Stevenson claimed a unanimous decision.
The reason Stevenson went to Showtime was supposedly to secure a fall unification fight with Hopkins, a bigger name who had been fighting on the network. But with Hopkins having an IBF-imposed deadline to sign for a unification fight nearing and no progress being made on a fight with Stevenson, he signed instead to face Kovalev and returned to HBO.
That left Pascal, a much bigger draw in Quebec than Stevenson, as the biggest fight Stevenson could make. However, the Stevenson camp rejected Pascal's request for at least 40 percent of the money.
Michel said he understands that there is disappointment over Stevenson not fighting one of the big names next but said that would change next year as long as he beats Sukhotsky.
"I know we had our chance with Kovalev and circumstances led us in another direction, but hopefully that fight will happen someday," Michel said. "We were very disappointed when we got the news that Bernard had signed to fight Kovalev. We were convinced it was going in our direction. We didn't know about any deadline that Hopkins had."
Hopkins had a strict deadline from the IBF to sign for a unification fight, otherwise his mandatory defense against the unknown Nabjib Mohammedi would have been imposed. Hopkins preferred the bigger event and much bigger payday of a unification fight, especially now that he is 49 and only wants the biggest fights.
"Adonis made the move [to Showtime] to fight Hopkins and he didn't get it," Michel said. "This is the business and sometimes it goes in another direction. I understand [there is frustration]. Things didn't go the way we wanted them to go. The fight with Pascal will be huge and we will have the proper time to make it and do a good promotion. Just be patient.
"We have a plan for Adonis to fight in December and then three fights next year. Whoever will raise his hand and is willing to fight Adonis will get him. We will try to get back to where we left off in 2013 in 2015."
Two other fighters who will appear on the Dec. 19 card against opponents to be determined are fast-rising light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev (6-0, 6 KOs) and welterweight Kevin Bizier (23-1, 16 KOs).
On Sept. 27, Beterbiev, 29, a 2012 Russian Olympian now living in Montreal, annihilated Cloud in the second round of a shockingly one-sided destruction and is far more advanced than his limited pro record shows.
Bizier, 30, of Saint-Emile, Quebec, has won two fights in a row since dropping a split decision to Montreal-based Romanian Jo Jo Dan last November. Michel said he is trying to finalize a Dan-Bizier rematch in a title eliminator for the card.
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Light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson declined to finalize big-time fall unification showdowns with both Sergey Kovalev and Bernard Hopkins -- who will instead fight each other Nov. 8 -- and also failed to come to terms with former champion Jean Pascal for what would be a major fight between two of Montreal's biggest name boxers.
So instead of a significant fight, Stevenson will settle for making the fourth defense of his crown against the obscure Dmitry Sukhotsky on Dec. 19 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Yvon Michel, Stevenson's promoter, said Monday. The fight will headline a Showtime-televised card.
Two news conferences to announce the fight are scheduled for Nov. 5, one in the morning in Quebec City and one in the afternoon in Montreal, Michel said.
Despite a very limited resume, Sukhotsky (22-2, 16 KOs), 33, of Russia, will be getting his second crack at a 175-pound world title. In December 2009, he lost a unanimous decision challenging Juergen Braehmer for his belt in Germany.
Sukhotsky's other loss came by near-shutout 12-round decision to Cornelius White in Las Vegas in July 2012. Sukhotsky has won four fights in a row since, but all against lowly regarded opposition.
"I'm expecting the guy to come well prepared. He has his chance to win the world title," Michel told ESPN.com. "I believe it will be an entertaining fight. Adonis is always in an entertaining fight. The guy, Sukhotsky, likes to trade with his opponents.
"The best contender would have been Jean Pascal, but there were circumstances we coudn't avoid. But Adonis is dedicated to fight Pascal next. He's his mandatory if he beats Sukhotsky, and that will be a huge, huge fight in Montreal."
The 37-year-old Stevenson (24-1, 20 KOs) burst on the world stage in 2013, one fight after avenging a 2010 second-round knockout loss to journeyman Darnell Boone. After Stevenson stopped Boone in the sixth round of their rematch, he got a shot at the world title and blitzed champion Chad Dawson, knocking him out with a tremendous left hand in just 76 seconds.
Later in 2013, Stevenson recorded knockout wins in title defenses against former titleholder Tavoris Cloud and mandatory challenger Tony Bellew, seemingly setting the stage for a much-anticipated showdown with Kovalev.
Kovalev and HBO both said that the deal for a fight this fall had been agreed to with each fighter getting an interim bout before their meeting, which would have been this month. Kovalev knocked out Cedric Agnew in March, but days before the fight Stevenson left HBO for Showtime, killing the fight with Kovalev.
Stevenson and his camp -- Michel and adviser Al Haymon -- claimed the deal with HBO was not done when Stevenson accepted a deal at Showtime, which put on what was supposed to be his interim bout before Kovalev against Andrzej Fonfara in May. Stevenson, a southpaw, dominated the first seven rounds, dropping him twice and opening a cut over his right eye. But Fonfara battled back, dropped Stevenson in the ninth round and had him in huge trouble down the stretch before Stevenson claimed a unanimous decision.
The reason Stevenson went to Showtime was supposedly to secure a fall unification fight with Hopkins, a bigger name who had been fighting on the network. But with Hopkins having an IBF-imposed deadline to sign for a unification fight nearing and no progress being made on a fight with Stevenson, he signed instead to face Kovalev and returned to HBO.
That left Pascal, a much bigger draw in Quebec than Stevenson, as the biggest fight Stevenson could make. However, the Stevenson camp rejected Pascal's request for at least 40 percent of the money.
Michel said he understands that there is disappointment over Stevenson not fighting one of the big names next but said that would change next year as long as he beats Sukhotsky.
"I know we had our chance with Kovalev and circumstances led us in another direction, but hopefully that fight will happen someday," Michel said. "We were very disappointed when we got the news that Bernard had signed to fight Kovalev. We were convinced it was going in our direction. We didn't know about any deadline that Hopkins had."
Hopkins had a strict deadline from the IBF to sign for a unification fight, otherwise his mandatory defense against the unknown Nabjib Mohammedi would have been imposed. Hopkins preferred the bigger event and much bigger payday of a unification fight, especially now that he is 49 and only wants the biggest fights.
"Adonis made the move [to Showtime] to fight Hopkins and he didn't get it," Michel said. "This is the business and sometimes it goes in another direction. I understand [there is frustration]. Things didn't go the way we wanted them to go. The fight with Pascal will be huge and we will have the proper time to make it and do a good promotion. Just be patient.
"We have a plan for Adonis to fight in December and then three fights next year. Whoever will raise his hand and is willing to fight Adonis will get him. We will try to get back to where we left off in 2013 in 2015."
Two other fighters who will appear on the Dec. 19 card against opponents to be determined are fast-rising light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev (6-0, 6 KOs) and welterweight Kevin Bizier (23-1, 16 KOs).
On Sept. 27, Beterbiev, 29, a 2012 Russian Olympian now living in Montreal, annihilated Cloud in the second round of a shockingly one-sided destruction and is far more advanced than his limited pro record shows.
Bizier, 30, of Saint-Emile, Quebec, has won two fights in a row since dropping a split decision to Montreal-based Romanian Jo Jo Dan last November. Michel said he is trying to finalize a Dan-Bizier rematch in a title eliminator for the card.
Beterbiev Vs. Page is going to be an eliminator? If not, Stevenson would be an idiot to not fight Pascal. It's a good fight against a credible LHW and it's a big money fight in Canada.
I'll never understand why that fight hasn't been made already.
I'll never understand why that fight hasn't been made already.
Props:
Coach E. No and Coach E. No
Im not sure but Pascal wants it, he's been calling out Stevenson for a while, especially on Twitter. would be very good money in Canada . Stevenson turned him down and instead is fighting this guy Sukhotsky. They offered Stevenson 50/50 and then 60/40 in Stevensons favor. Not sure what else he wants.
so I guess since Pascal couldn't land Stevenson he's going to fight Donovan George and then try again with Stevenson for an April bout.
I believe Pascal is mandatory to Stevenson so they must have given Stevenson another voulantary and after this next fight it will go to a purse bid if they don't reach an agreement by February.
so I guess since Pascal couldn't land Stevenson he's going to fight Donovan George and then try again with Stevenson for an April bout.
I believe Pascal is mandatory to Stevenson so they must have given Stevenson another voulantary and after this next fight it will go to a purse bid if they don't reach an agreement by February.
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I've been wondering why that Pascal/Stevenson hasn't happened as well. Seems like a no brainer. Only reason that makes any sense to me is Stevenson doesn't want it. Pascal is a dude that people don't give a ton of respect to but he's hella dangerous IMO. Super fast and strong and pretty tough even. He just doesn't always put it all together.
Danny Garcia wouldn’t stand a chance against Algieri, says Arum
October 27th, 2014 | Post Comment - 188 Comments
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Chris Algieri Bob Arum manny pacquiao danny garcia By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) and his trainer Freddie Roach both are very interested in a future bout against WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs). Roach sees Garcia as the perfect opponent for Pacquiao due to the way Garcia loads up with his left hooks, and swings for the fences each time he throws a punch.
Roach thinks Pacquiao would do well against a fighter like Garcia. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, however, doesn’t think Garcia could even beat Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), who will be facing Pacquiao next on November 22nd in Macau, China. Arum thinks Garcia would be out of his element in a fight against the 5’10” Algieri.
“I don’t think Danny Garcia, if he fought Algieri today, he wouldn’t have much of a chance. Algieri is a great athlete,” Arum said to Radio Raheem.
This could be Arum’s way of promoting the Pacquiao-Algieri fight by making Algieri out to be a really good fighter, which he definitely is. Algieri isn’t much of a puncher, and Garcia would have 12 rounds to find his chin with one of his big power shots if that fight were to take place.
Algieri did a good job of beating Ruslan Provodnikov last June, but that was mainly because Provodnikov was throwing one punch at a time instead of throwing combinations.
Danny Garcia loads up on single shots just like Provodnikov. However, Garcia is a smart fighter with an excellent trainer in Angel Garcia. He’d likely make adjustments in a fight against Algieri by throwing a lot of combinations in order to land his shots.
Pacquiao might not ever get a shot against Danny Garcia, because he has Al Haymon as his adviser/manager, and that could keep them from ever fighting unless Haymon sees the Pacquiao fight as one that he’d like to make. I don’t think that’s going to happen. Arum probably has a good idea whether a fight between Pacquiao and Garcia is one that has a realistic chance of taking place. It’s quite possible that by Arum saying that Garcia wouldn’t have much of a chance against Algieri, he’s basically saying it’s a fight that couldn’t take place between Pacquiao and Garcia.
October 27th, 2014 | Post Comment - 188 Comments
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Chris Algieri Bob Arum manny pacquiao danny garcia By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) and his trainer Freddie Roach both are very interested in a future bout against WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia (29-0, 17 KOs). Roach sees Garcia as the perfect opponent for Pacquiao due to the way Garcia loads up with his left hooks, and swings for the fences each time he throws a punch.
Roach thinks Pacquiao would do well against a fighter like Garcia. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, however, doesn’t think Garcia could even beat Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), who will be facing Pacquiao next on November 22nd in Macau, China. Arum thinks Garcia would be out of his element in a fight against the 5’10” Algieri.
“I don’t think Danny Garcia, if he fought Algieri today, he wouldn’t have much of a chance. Algieri is a great athlete,” Arum said to Radio Raheem.
This could be Arum’s way of promoting the Pacquiao-Algieri fight by making Algieri out to be a really good fighter, which he definitely is. Algieri isn’t much of a puncher, and Garcia would have 12 rounds to find his chin with one of his big power shots if that fight were to take place.
Algieri did a good job of beating Ruslan Provodnikov last June, but that was mainly because Provodnikov was throwing one punch at a time instead of throwing combinations.
Danny Garcia loads up on single shots just like Provodnikov. However, Garcia is a smart fighter with an excellent trainer in Angel Garcia. He’d likely make adjustments in a fight against Algieri by throwing a lot of combinations in order to land his shots.
Pacquiao might not ever get a shot against Danny Garcia, because he has Al Haymon as his adviser/manager, and that could keep them from ever fighting unless Haymon sees the Pacquiao fight as one that he’d like to make. I don’t think that’s going to happen. Arum probably has a good idea whether a fight between Pacquiao and Garcia is one that has a realistic chance of taking place. It’s quite possible that by Arum saying that Garcia wouldn’t have much of a chance against Algieri, he’s basically saying it’s a fight that couldn’t take place between Pacquiao and Garcia.
Golovkin: Martin Murray is the best available opponent for me
October 27th, 2014 | Post Comment - 90 Comments
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Martin Murray Golovkin Murray Golovkin vs. Murray gennady golovkin By Scott Gilfoid: With WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) unable to get WBC 160 pound champion Miguel Cotto or former WBA/WBC 154lb champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to step inside the ring to face him, Golovkin will need to be satisfied with facing #1 WBC Martin Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs) on February 21st in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Golovkin sees Murray as a good stay busy fight to keep him from getting rust while he waits for the Cotto-Canelo fight to take place. Once that fight is over with, Golovkin hopes that he can fight the winner. More likely he’ll be ignored by the Canelo-Cotto winner, especially if it’s Cotto, because his promoter Bob Arum is already talking about wanting to match Cotto against Tim Bradley in his next fight.
“Murray is a strong guy and he had a good win,” Golovkin said to ESPN.com. “Domenico Spada is an ugly opponent to fight. He has a style that is not the easiest to fight against but (Murray) did his job and won the fight. I think this fight with Murray is a good fight for us.”
Murray is actually the perfect fight for Golovkin, because Murray does a lot of covering up, and he can’t punch like some of the guys that Golovkin has faced in the past. Murray is mainly just a really big guy who does a good job over covering up, holding, and taking the big shots that do get through his guard. He’s got a decent jab, but he’s not powerful or dangerous in any way.
As we saw in Murray’s recent win Domenico Spada last Saturday night, Murray can be dangerous with his head if it comes in contact with you. Spada was cut over both eyes in the fight, which led to the bout being halted in the 7th round due to the bleeding. Golovkin will have to be watchful at all times if he doesn’t want to get sliced to ribbons from an accidental head-butt by Murray.
“We couldn’t get (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr., Miguel Cotto or Canelo (Alvarez) to fight us next,” Golovkin said. “We have to wait until after the (likely) Cotto-Canelo fight is done, so Murray is the best available opponent for me.”
Murray is the highest rated opponent for Golovkin in terms of his resume, but I’m not sure you can call him the best. He’s someone that will give Golovkin some rounds due to Murray’s defensive style of fighting. He keeps his high guard up all the time to protect this head, which makes it difficult to knock him out. However, Murray’s high guard will leave his body totally unprotected in this fight, and that will enable Golovkin to tee off on him with body shots.
I expect to see Golovkin knock Murray out with a body shot by the 4th or 5th rounds. Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez will likely have him focusing entirely on attacking the body of Murray, because that’s really the best way for him to beat him. He’s not going to be able to land a lot of head-shots with Murray hiding behind his clamshell guard for the entire fight.
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October 27th, 2014 | Post Comment - 90 Comments
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Martin Murray Golovkin Murray Golovkin vs. Murray gennady golovkin By Scott Gilfoid: With WBA Super World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs) unable to get WBC 160 pound champion Miguel Cotto or former WBA/WBC 154lb champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to step inside the ring to face him, Golovkin will need to be satisfied with facing #1 WBC Martin Murray (29-1-1, 12 KOs) on February 21st in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Golovkin sees Murray as a good stay busy fight to keep him from getting rust while he waits for the Cotto-Canelo fight to take place. Once that fight is over with, Golovkin hopes that he can fight the winner. More likely he’ll be ignored by the Canelo-Cotto winner, especially if it’s Cotto, because his promoter Bob Arum is already talking about wanting to match Cotto against Tim Bradley in his next fight.
“Murray is a strong guy and he had a good win,” Golovkin said to ESPN.com. “Domenico Spada is an ugly opponent to fight. He has a style that is not the easiest to fight against but (Murray) did his job and won the fight. I think this fight with Murray is a good fight for us.”
Murray is actually the perfect fight for Golovkin, because Murray does a lot of covering up, and he can’t punch like some of the guys that Golovkin has faced in the past. Murray is mainly just a really big guy who does a good job over covering up, holding, and taking the big shots that do get through his guard. He’s got a decent jab, but he’s not powerful or dangerous in any way.
As we saw in Murray’s recent win Domenico Spada last Saturday night, Murray can be dangerous with his head if it comes in contact with you. Spada was cut over both eyes in the fight, which led to the bout being halted in the 7th round due to the bleeding. Golovkin will have to be watchful at all times if he doesn’t want to get sliced to ribbons from an accidental head-butt by Murray.
“We couldn’t get (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr., Miguel Cotto or Canelo (Alvarez) to fight us next,” Golovkin said. “We have to wait until after the (likely) Cotto-Canelo fight is done, so Murray is the best available opponent for me.”
Murray is the highest rated opponent for Golovkin in terms of his resume, but I’m not sure you can call him the best. He’s someone that will give Golovkin some rounds due to Murray’s defensive style of fighting. He keeps his high guard up all the time to protect this head, which makes it difficult to knock him out. However, Murray’s high guard will leave his body totally unprotected in this fight, and that will enable Golovkin to tee off on him with body shots.
I expect to see Golovkin knock Murray out with a body shot by the 4th or 5th rounds. Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez will likely have him focusing entirely on attacking the body of Murray, because that’s really the best way for him to beat him. He’s not going to be able to land a lot of head-shots with Murray hiding behind his clamshell guard for the entire fight.
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Good article by Fat Dan on Chocolatito Vs. Estrada II. Hopefully with HBO backing Shiming so much they pick this fight up. Even as a co feature to another fight. It's one of the best fights that can be made in boxing throughout all the divisions without a doubt.
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For those who have not been paying attention, this is a great time to be a fan of the flyweight division. Sure, it doesn’t get much love from the major boxing TV networks in the United States, but that doesn’t change the fact that there have been some excellent fights recently, with another likely to happen in the early part of 2015.
That would be a rematch between lineal champion Roman Gonzalez, also owner of an alphabet belt, and unified titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada.
Gonzalez (40-0, 34 KOs), who has also held titles at strawweight and junior flyweight, made his final junior flyweight defense against Estrada in November 2012. It was a tremendous battle, one Gonzalez won by unanimous decision at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles before vacating the title and moving up in weight.
On Sept. 5, Nicaragua’s Gonzalez, the best fighter in the world most people are not very familiar with, finally got a shot at the flyweight title, going to Tokyo and knocking out Akira Yaegashi in the ninth round to win the world championship.
After Estrada (30-2, 22 KOs) lost to Gonzalez, he moved up to flyweight and in his next fight outpointed Brian Viloria in another excellent fight to claim two belts. He has made three defenses, including an impressive 11th-round knockout of big puncher and former junior flyweight champion Giovani Segura on Sept. 6.
A rematch between Gonzalez and Estrada seemed like a natural and that is what we just might get as both sides are interested in the sequel. To make it even better, HBO, which has generally ignored fights south of the junior featherweight division, is interested in the rematch. That’s a great thing because Gonzalez and Estrada deserve the exposure and fans deserve a can’t-miss fight that should feature plenty of action and a high degree of skill.
But there is still work to be done before the expected rematch comes together. Both fighters have to get through interim defenses.
Gonzalez, 27, is returning to Japan to make his first defense, which will be against the Philippines’ Rocky Fuentes (35-7-2, 20 KOs) on Nov. 22 in Kanagawa.
“I'm in optimum shape. My physical condition is top-notch to face Rocky Fuentes, who's a hard and dedicated rival,” Gonzalez said. “Rocky knows how to throw combinations and he is able to vary his punches. I hope all goes well, as it has in all my fights so far.”
Estrada, 24, had his fourth title defense announced this week: Dec. 6 in his hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico, against the Philippines’ Joebert Alvarez (14-0-1, 6 KOs). That bout likely will air in the U.S. on beIN Sports Espanol.
Ideally, Gonzalez and Estrada will come through their upcoming bouts unscathed and they will meet in a rematch that hopefully will give both men -- and their fun-filled division -- the attention they deserve.
______________________________
For those who have not been paying attention, this is a great time to be a fan of the flyweight division. Sure, it doesn’t get much love from the major boxing TV networks in the United States, but that doesn’t change the fact that there have been some excellent fights recently, with another likely to happen in the early part of 2015.
That would be a rematch between lineal champion Roman Gonzalez, also owner of an alphabet belt, and unified titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada.
Gonzalez (40-0, 34 KOs), who has also held titles at strawweight and junior flyweight, made his final junior flyweight defense against Estrada in November 2012. It was a tremendous battle, one Gonzalez won by unanimous decision at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles before vacating the title and moving up in weight.
On Sept. 5, Nicaragua’s Gonzalez, the best fighter in the world most people are not very familiar with, finally got a shot at the flyweight title, going to Tokyo and knocking out Akira Yaegashi in the ninth round to win the world championship.
After Estrada (30-2, 22 KOs) lost to Gonzalez, he moved up to flyweight and in his next fight outpointed Brian Viloria in another excellent fight to claim two belts. He has made three defenses, including an impressive 11th-round knockout of big puncher and former junior flyweight champion Giovani Segura on Sept. 6.
A rematch between Gonzalez and Estrada seemed like a natural and that is what we just might get as both sides are interested in the sequel. To make it even better, HBO, which has generally ignored fights south of the junior featherweight division, is interested in the rematch. That’s a great thing because Gonzalez and Estrada deserve the exposure and fans deserve a can’t-miss fight that should feature plenty of action and a high degree of skill.
But there is still work to be done before the expected rematch comes together. Both fighters have to get through interim defenses.
Gonzalez, 27, is returning to Japan to make his first defense, which will be against the Philippines’ Rocky Fuentes (35-7-2, 20 KOs) on Nov. 22 in Kanagawa.
“I'm in optimum shape. My physical condition is top-notch to face Rocky Fuentes, who's a hard and dedicated rival,” Gonzalez said. “Rocky knows how to throw combinations and he is able to vary his punches. I hope all goes well, as it has in all my fights so far.”
Estrada, 24, had his fourth title defense announced this week: Dec. 6 in his hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico, against the Philippines’ Joebert Alvarez (14-0-1, 6 KOs). That bout likely will air in the U.S. on beIN Sports Espanol.
Ideally, Gonzalez and Estrada will come through their upcoming bouts unscathed and they will meet in a rematch that hopefully will give both men -- and their fun-filled division -- the attention they deserve.
Props:
Coach E. No and Coach E. No
Oscar De La Hoya Says Randy Caballero Will Be a Future Star in Boxing
As Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) returns from winning the IBF Bantamweight title in Monte Carlo, France, Golden Boy Promotions today congratulated the newly crowned champion of Nicaraguan descent on his victory and promised that hometown fans wouldn’t have to travel far for Caballero’s next match.
“Randy is so popular around his home of Coachella, and Fantasy Springs was the venue for so many of his fights as he climbed the championship ladder – put those facts together and there’s only one possible spot for his first title defense,” said Golden Boy Promotions Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya. “I’ve been saying for a long time that Randy is a true future star of boxing, and he continues to deliver on that promise. The fans at Fantasy Springs should buckle up for another fantastic fight in the near future.”
Last week, Caballero reached the high point of his young career, winning a 12-round unanimous decision against a game Stuart Hall to earn the IBF Bantamweight Title. Since joining the professional ranks in 2010, he has become a staple of the Southern California fight scene, packing venues around the area as he gained stature in the division.
A native of Indio, California who now makes his home in Coachella, Randy “El Matador” Caballero has gone from local hero to international standout as his meteoric rise has seen him defeat the likes of Kohei Oba, Alexis Santiago, Jessy Cruz, Jose Luis Araiza, Manuel Roman and Luis Maldonado.
As Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) returns from winning the IBF Bantamweight title in Monte Carlo, France, Golden Boy Promotions today congratulated the newly crowned champion of Nicaraguan descent on his victory and promised that hometown fans wouldn’t have to travel far for Caballero’s next match.
“Randy is so popular around his home of Coachella, and Fantasy Springs was the venue for so many of his fights as he climbed the championship ladder – put those facts together and there’s only one possible spot for his first title defense,” said Golden Boy Promotions Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya. “I’ve been saying for a long time that Randy is a true future star of boxing, and he continues to deliver on that promise. The fans at Fantasy Springs should buckle up for another fantastic fight in the near future.”
Last week, Caballero reached the high point of his young career, winning a 12-round unanimous decision against a game Stuart Hall to earn the IBF Bantamweight Title. Since joining the professional ranks in 2010, he has become a staple of the Southern California fight scene, packing venues around the area as he gained stature in the division.
A native of Indio, California who now makes his home in Coachella, Randy “El Matador” Caballero has gone from local hero to international standout as his meteoric rise has seen him defeat the likes of Kohei Oba, Alexis Santiago, Jessy Cruz, Jose Luis Araiza, Manuel Roman and Luis Maldonado.
A Look into Boxing in the Month of November
2014 may not have been a great year for boxing but November certainly has the potential to be one of its best months. Steve Waters takes a look at some of the bigger fights and makes his picks.
November 8
Bernard Hopkins vs. Sergey Kovalev
TV – HBO
Venue – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
One of the most eagerly awaited fights of the year is finally upon us as 49-year-old Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32KOs) takes on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (25-0, 23KOs). Whilst the fight certainly is intriguing and has provided us with perhaps the best (albeit 1 episode) 24/7 in years, I struggle to get too excited about watching B-Hop, who has recently described his style as “art at work” but I can’t second that. However he is extremely smart at neutralising his opponents strengths, and against Kovalev, he will have to use every dirty, spoiler trick in his arsenal to get the job done. Does he get a pass for using these tactics to continue to be successful at 49 years of age?, sure and despite this writer not being a big fan of Hopkins fighting style, I have so much respect for him as an athlete. The way he looks after his body is truly inspirational. With that being said, a Kovalev win is better for boxing, The Russian might not have the best defense in the World but with his devastating power, he certainly excites and at 31, seemingly has a great future in the sport. Having never gone a full 12 rounds you’d expect the game plan for Kovalev would be – not to let “The Alien” settle and attempt to get him out of there early, but that might be easier said than done, Hopkins has never been stopped and has gone the full distance (except for his NC with Chad Dawson) in every-one of his fights since stopping Oscar De La Hoya over a decade ago.
Pick – I can’t believe I am doing this, I really hope I am wrong but I am picking Bernard Hopkins to make it an ugly fight and win on points.
November 15
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Kubrat Pulev
TV - TBA
Venue - 02 World Arena, Hamburg, Germany
This fight was originally expected to take place in August but a torn left biceps caused Wladimir Klitchko (62-3,52KOs) to postpone the original date. People are quick to blame the Klitschko brothers reign of dominance and low-risk style fighting for the monster decline in the heavyweight divisions popularity but we all know if they were American it would be a very different story. With Vitali retired and Wladimir, who has dominated the division since 2005, now in the latter stages of his career, we should perhaps take time to appreciate just how good they have been, after all, we can’t blame them for the lack of contenders and competition since the retirement of Lennox Lewis, I really feel their size and power would’ve caused difficulties in any era. Wladimir’s opponent is undefeated Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev (20-0,11KOs), who is a credible opponent but surely his best chance of winning will be if the Ukrainian’s injury isn’t completely healed.
Pick – As usual, Klitschko to dominate with the jab for the first few rounds before deciding his opponent has nothing left and forcing a stoppage in the mid-to-late rounds
November 22
Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri
TV – HBO PPV ($65)
Venue – Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, China
Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38KOs) will be looking to win a third straight fight since being knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez nearly two years ago. His opponent Chris Algieri (20-0, 8KOs) was relatively unheard of until upsetting Ruslan Provodnikov in a closely contested fight back in June, in that bout he was down twice in the first round and very nearly stopped. I’ve been amazed at the amount of people picking Algieri to pull off an upset, he isn’t a bad boxer and has a sizeable height and reach advantage over “Pacman” but with only eight stoppages to his name, there is little to suggest he has the power to keep Pac off him for 12 rounds, especially when you consider, as with most Manny fights, this is taking place at a catch-weight (144lbs) which favors him much more than his opponent.
Pick – obviously I am going with Manny to win on points, maybe even via a late stoppage which would be his first since stopping Miguel Cotto 5 years ago.
November 22
Nathan Cleverly vs. Tony Bellew
TV - UK Sky Box Office
Venue – Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK
UK fight fans are extremely unhappy that Eddie Hearn has made this heavily publicised rematch between Welshman Nathan Cleverly (28-1, 14KOs) and Liverpudlian Tony Bellew (22-2-1, 14KOs) a PPV event. He has tried to make it more marketable by adding two of Britain’s best known Super Middleweights James DeGale and George Groves on the card (both in mismatches), no doubt hoping to set up another PPV rematch. As far as the Cleverly/Bellew bout, I think it’ll be very different from their first fight when Cleverly won via a majority decision, since then, they have both been in with World level fighters, both losing badly, Cleverly against Kovalev (TKO 4) and Bellew against Adonis Stevenson (TKO 6). Their previous fight took place at Light-heavyweight and this one is happening at Cruiserweight where I feel Bellew is the most comfortable.
Pick – Bellew to get his revenge, winning via knockout, potentially setting up a rubbermatch.
November 29
Terence Crawford vs. Raymundo Beltran
TV - HBO
Venue - CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Mexican Raymundo Beltran (29-6-1, 17KOs) travels to the home town of undefeated Terence Crawford (24-0, 17KOs) to fight for the WBO Lightweight title that Crawford won from Scotlands Ricky Burns. Ironically, it is a belt that Beltran should already own, after being robbed of a victory against Burns himself (SD Draw) last year, however, 24-year-old Crawford looks like the real deal and in his last fight against Yuriorkis Gamboa, where he won via a 9th round TKO, proved he belongs at World level.
Pick – I think Crawford wins by knockout
November 29
Tyson Fury vs. Dereck Chisora
Co-feature Billy Joe Saunders vs. Chris Eubank Jr.
TV - Boxnation (UK)
Venue – ExCel Arena, Dockland, London, UK
Another rematch in the UK, this time promoted by Frank Warren, an event titled “Bad Blood”, which certainly has the Bellew/Cleverly night beaten. Not only are fans treated to Tyson Fury (22-0, 16KOs) vs. Dereck Chisora (20-4, 13KOs), they also get to see what has the potential to be Britain’s fight of the year between undefeated Middleweights Billy Joe Saunders (20-0, 11KOs) and Chris Eubank Jr. (18-0, 13KOs). I’m not usually one to get excited too early about undefeated Brits but I really want to believe the hype when it comes to Chris Eubank Jr. I’d love for him to be as good as his early potential has shown, we will find out because traveller Billie Joe Saunders has at least proved himself as a top domestic level fighter, this is a serious step up for Chris Eubank and I really believe the “Bad Blood” between these two is real and it could steal the show from the main event which is the re-scheduled heavyweight clash between Fury and Chisora, both fighters are much improved from when they fought in 2011, which was a fight Fury won on points. They know that a win will be the difference between future World title shots and domestic level fights. Chisora has the much better experience having fought (unsuccessfully) at World level against Vitali Klitcschko (L UD 12) and David Haye (L TKO 5). The biggest name Fury has fought in recent years is Steve Cunningham (W 7 KO) but he was unfortunate not to get a fight with Haye and despite having horrible co-ordination and footwork, at 6ft 9″ has the potential to knockout anyone in the division and therefore has perhaps somewhat been avoided by the bigger names.
Picks I’m going with Tyson Fury to win again, this time via stoppage, hopefully setting up future fights with Wladimir Klitschko and/or the winner of Stiverne/Wilder and I’m also picking Chris Eubank Jr. to win via knockout.
Last months picks 4-2
2014 may not have been a great year for boxing but November certainly has the potential to be one of its best months. Steve Waters takes a look at some of the bigger fights and makes his picks.
November 8
Bernard Hopkins vs. Sergey Kovalev
TV – HBO
Venue – Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
One of the most eagerly awaited fights of the year is finally upon us as 49-year-old Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32KOs) takes on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (25-0, 23KOs). Whilst the fight certainly is intriguing and has provided us with perhaps the best (albeit 1 episode) 24/7 in years, I struggle to get too excited about watching B-Hop, who has recently described his style as “art at work” but I can’t second that. However he is extremely smart at neutralising his opponents strengths, and against Kovalev, he will have to use every dirty, spoiler trick in his arsenal to get the job done. Does he get a pass for using these tactics to continue to be successful at 49 years of age?, sure and despite this writer not being a big fan of Hopkins fighting style, I have so much respect for him as an athlete. The way he looks after his body is truly inspirational. With that being said, a Kovalev win is better for boxing, The Russian might not have the best defense in the World but with his devastating power, he certainly excites and at 31, seemingly has a great future in the sport. Having never gone a full 12 rounds you’d expect the game plan for Kovalev would be – not to let “The Alien” settle and attempt to get him out of there early, but that might be easier said than done, Hopkins has never been stopped and has gone the full distance (except for his NC with Chad Dawson) in every-one of his fights since stopping Oscar De La Hoya over a decade ago.
Pick – I can’t believe I am doing this, I really hope I am wrong but I am picking Bernard Hopkins to make it an ugly fight and win on points.
November 15
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Kubrat Pulev
TV - TBA
Venue - 02 World Arena, Hamburg, Germany
This fight was originally expected to take place in August but a torn left biceps caused Wladimir Klitchko (62-3,52KOs) to postpone the original date. People are quick to blame the Klitschko brothers reign of dominance and low-risk style fighting for the monster decline in the heavyweight divisions popularity but we all know if they were American it would be a very different story. With Vitali retired and Wladimir, who has dominated the division since 2005, now in the latter stages of his career, we should perhaps take time to appreciate just how good they have been, after all, we can’t blame them for the lack of contenders and competition since the retirement of Lennox Lewis, I really feel their size and power would’ve caused difficulties in any era. Wladimir’s opponent is undefeated Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev (20-0,11KOs), who is a credible opponent but surely his best chance of winning will be if the Ukrainian’s injury isn’t completely healed.
Pick – As usual, Klitschko to dominate with the jab for the first few rounds before deciding his opponent has nothing left and forcing a stoppage in the mid-to-late rounds
November 22
Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri
TV – HBO PPV ($65)
Venue – Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, China
Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38KOs) will be looking to win a third straight fight since being knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez nearly two years ago. His opponent Chris Algieri (20-0, 8KOs) was relatively unheard of until upsetting Ruslan Provodnikov in a closely contested fight back in June, in that bout he was down twice in the first round and very nearly stopped. I’ve been amazed at the amount of people picking Algieri to pull off an upset, he isn’t a bad boxer and has a sizeable height and reach advantage over “Pacman” but with only eight stoppages to his name, there is little to suggest he has the power to keep Pac off him for 12 rounds, especially when you consider, as with most Manny fights, this is taking place at a catch-weight (144lbs) which favors him much more than his opponent.
Pick – obviously I am going with Manny to win on points, maybe even via a late stoppage which would be his first since stopping Miguel Cotto 5 years ago.
November 22
Nathan Cleverly vs. Tony Bellew
TV - UK Sky Box Office
Venue – Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK
UK fight fans are extremely unhappy that Eddie Hearn has made this heavily publicised rematch between Welshman Nathan Cleverly (28-1, 14KOs) and Liverpudlian Tony Bellew (22-2-1, 14KOs) a PPV event. He has tried to make it more marketable by adding two of Britain’s best known Super Middleweights James DeGale and George Groves on the card (both in mismatches), no doubt hoping to set up another PPV rematch. As far as the Cleverly/Bellew bout, I think it’ll be very different from their first fight when Cleverly won via a majority decision, since then, they have both been in with World level fighters, both losing badly, Cleverly against Kovalev (TKO 4) and Bellew against Adonis Stevenson (TKO 6). Their previous fight took place at Light-heavyweight and this one is happening at Cruiserweight where I feel Bellew is the most comfortable.
Pick – Bellew to get his revenge, winning via knockout, potentially setting up a rubbermatch.
November 29
Terence Crawford vs. Raymundo Beltran
TV - HBO
Venue - CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Mexican Raymundo Beltran (29-6-1, 17KOs) travels to the home town of undefeated Terence Crawford (24-0, 17KOs) to fight for the WBO Lightweight title that Crawford won from Scotlands Ricky Burns. Ironically, it is a belt that Beltran should already own, after being robbed of a victory against Burns himself (SD Draw) last year, however, 24-year-old Crawford looks like the real deal and in his last fight against Yuriorkis Gamboa, where he won via a 9th round TKO, proved he belongs at World level.
Pick – I think Crawford wins by knockout
November 29
Tyson Fury vs. Dereck Chisora
Co-feature Billy Joe Saunders vs. Chris Eubank Jr.
TV - Boxnation (UK)
Venue – ExCel Arena, Dockland, London, UK
Another rematch in the UK, this time promoted by Frank Warren, an event titled “Bad Blood”, which certainly has the Bellew/Cleverly night beaten. Not only are fans treated to Tyson Fury (22-0, 16KOs) vs. Dereck Chisora (20-4, 13KOs), they also get to see what has the potential to be Britain’s fight of the year between undefeated Middleweights Billy Joe Saunders (20-0, 11KOs) and Chris Eubank Jr. (18-0, 13KOs). I’m not usually one to get excited too early about undefeated Brits but I really want to believe the hype when it comes to Chris Eubank Jr. I’d love for him to be as good as his early potential has shown, we will find out because traveller Billie Joe Saunders has at least proved himself as a top domestic level fighter, this is a serious step up for Chris Eubank and I really believe the “Bad Blood” between these two is real and it could steal the show from the main event which is the re-scheduled heavyweight clash between Fury and Chisora, both fighters are much improved from when they fought in 2011, which was a fight Fury won on points. They know that a win will be the difference between future World title shots and domestic level fights. Chisora has the much better experience having fought (unsuccessfully) at World level against Vitali Klitcschko (L UD 12) and David Haye (L TKO 5). The biggest name Fury has fought in recent years is Steve Cunningham (W 7 KO) but he was unfortunate not to get a fight with Haye and despite having horrible co-ordination and footwork, at 6ft 9″ has the potential to knockout anyone in the division and therefore has perhaps somewhat been avoided by the bigger names.
Picks I’m going with Tyson Fury to win again, this time via stoppage, hopefully setting up future fights with Wladimir Klitschko and/or the winner of Stiverne/Wilder and I’m also picking Chris Eubank Jr. to win via knockout.
Last months picks 4-2
Trout to Face Grajeda on Dec 11th
By Victor Salazar
Austin Trout will return to the ring on December 11th on ESPN2 at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, when he takes on Luis Grajeda according to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael (Austin Trout to fight Luis Grajeda on Dec. 11 in Dan Goossen tribute event - ESPN).
The bout will be the headliner to a special edition of ESPN Boxing as it honors Dan Goossen, the late boxing promoter who passed away September 29th. His promotional company, Goossen Promotions will be the one promoting the show.
Austin Trout returned on ESPN 2 defeating Daniel Dawson this year after two losses to Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara last year. In that bout Trout suffered two knockdowns in the 3rd round but got up and won a decision over Dawson. Trout attributes the knockdowns to rust and long layoffs and his goal now is to remain active.
Grajeda was last seen on ESPN2 where he lost a decision to Willie Nelson.
According to Rafael, Chris Arreola will also be on the card likely facing Hoe Hanks with a third bout featuring a fight with Johnathan Banks against Antonio Tarver.
By Victor Salazar
Austin Trout will return to the ring on December 11th on ESPN2 at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, when he takes on Luis Grajeda according to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael (Austin Trout to fight Luis Grajeda on Dec. 11 in Dan Goossen tribute event - ESPN).
The bout will be the headliner to a special edition of ESPN Boxing as it honors Dan Goossen, the late boxing promoter who passed away September 29th. His promotional company, Goossen Promotions will be the one promoting the show.
Austin Trout returned on ESPN 2 defeating Daniel Dawson this year after two losses to Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara last year. In that bout Trout suffered two knockdowns in the 3rd round but got up and won a decision over Dawson. Trout attributes the knockdowns to rust and long layoffs and his goal now is to remain active.
Grajeda was last seen on ESPN2 where he lost a decision to Willie Nelson.
According to Rafael, Chris Arreola will also be on the card likely facing Hoe Hanks with a third bout featuring a fight with Johnathan Banks against Antonio Tarver.
Matthew Macklin believes he could challenge WBC Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto next if he can see off Jorge Sebastian Heiland at The 3Arena in Dublin on November 15, live on Sky Sports.
Macklin meets WBC International champion Heiland in an eliminator for Cotto’s crown as big time boxing returns to Ireland’s capital, with the winner gunning for Cotto who ripped the title from Sergio Martinez.
The Irishman is focused on the dangerous Argentine he faces in Dublin, but admits that the carrot of challenging Cotto has him dreaming of a return to the Big Apple or even an outdoor spectacular in Dublin.
“Cotto is such a big draw in New York City at Madison Square Garden, but if you can do 60,000 people at Croke Park then the economics of the fight change,” said Macklin. “If the fight captures the imagination and sells out a stadium, you can bring anyone, anywhere. That’s the dream.
“Challenging Cotto in New York would be an incredible experience – to face someone of his stature there. But that’s a lot of wins to put together first.”
If Macklin can do the job against Heiland then his interest in Irish rival Andy Lee’s clash with Matt Korobov for the vacant WBO belt in December. Lee travels to Las Vegas to tackle the unbeaten Russian and Macklin
“I think Andy has got a good chance,” said Macklin. “Styles make fights and Korobov is a technical counter-punching southpaw, he’ll give Andy room and time and Andy performs better if he’s allowed that, he’s a class act. If he can win that then me and Andy fighting for the World title is massive. It’s a huge fight anyway but a World title is that key element. I’ll be rooting for him for selfish reasons but also because he’s flying the flag for Irish boxing too and he’s a good lad, so I hope he does the business for himself and also as it sets up a potential fight for us.”
Macklin tops a great bill in the Irish capital with a pair of grudge matches between Michael Sweeney and Ian Tims at Cruiserweight and Gary O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald at Middleweight, Featherweight contenders Patrick Hyland and John Simpson target British, European and Commonwealth champion Josh Warrington after their clash, there’s a first hometown fight for amateur star John Joe Nevin, Kal Yafai defends his Commonwealth Super Flyweight crown, while unbeaten Dubliners Declan Geraghty and Luke Keeler both fight in their seventh fights and exciting Stourbridge Welterweight Sam Eggington.
Macklin meets WBC International champion Heiland in an eliminator for Cotto’s crown as big time boxing returns to Ireland’s capital, with the winner gunning for Cotto who ripped the title from Sergio Martinez.
The Irishman is focused on the dangerous Argentine he faces in Dublin, but admits that the carrot of challenging Cotto has him dreaming of a return to the Big Apple or even an outdoor spectacular in Dublin.
“Cotto is such a big draw in New York City at Madison Square Garden, but if you can do 60,000 people at Croke Park then the economics of the fight change,” said Macklin. “If the fight captures the imagination and sells out a stadium, you can bring anyone, anywhere. That’s the dream.
“Challenging Cotto in New York would be an incredible experience – to face someone of his stature there. But that’s a lot of wins to put together first.”
If Macklin can do the job against Heiland then his interest in Irish rival Andy Lee’s clash with Matt Korobov for the vacant WBO belt in December. Lee travels to Las Vegas to tackle the unbeaten Russian and Macklin
“I think Andy has got a good chance,” said Macklin. “Styles make fights and Korobov is a technical counter-punching southpaw, he’ll give Andy room and time and Andy performs better if he’s allowed that, he’s a class act. If he can win that then me and Andy fighting for the World title is massive. It’s a huge fight anyway but a World title is that key element. I’ll be rooting for him for selfish reasons but also because he’s flying the flag for Irish boxing too and he’s a good lad, so I hope he does the business for himself and also as it sets up a potential fight for us.”
Macklin tops a great bill in the Irish capital with a pair of grudge matches between Michael Sweeney and Ian Tims at Cruiserweight and Gary O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald at Middleweight, Featherweight contenders Patrick Hyland and John Simpson target British, European and Commonwealth champion Josh Warrington after their clash, there’s a first hometown fight for amateur star John Joe Nevin, Kal Yafai defends his Commonwealth Super Flyweight crown, while unbeaten Dubliners Declan Geraghty and Luke Keeler both fight in their seventh fights and exciting Stourbridge Welterweight Sam Eggington.
De La Hoya: ‘Forget About Mayweather-Pacquiao, Let’s Start Talking About Canelo-Cotto’
s the potential matchup between Puerto Rico’s lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez bigger than one of greatest matchups in the history of the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry – Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad? De La Hoya seems to think that it has the potential to be the biggest fight in the rivalry’s history.
Canelo and Cotto is being proposed for May of next year. It is a significant fight, and according to De La Hoya it is the biggest fight that can be made in boxing. He is on record of saying that it has surpassed the desire fans have for seeing the long awaited showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
It is no secret that De La Hoya feels this way and his logic is sound. The fact is nobody believes the fight will ever take place between the pound for pound kingpin and the pride of the Philippines, but fans are growing tired of the idea as a whole. Both fighters have danced around the subject for so long that a new desire seems to have taken over in the form of Canelo-Cotto.
“Forget about Mayweather- Pacquiao, let’s start talking about Canelo-Cotto. From the feedback that I’ve been receiving everywhere I go, phone calls that I get, emails I receive, it’s Canelo-Cotto. We feel that it’s our obligation as Canelo’s promoter to hopefully make that happen relatively soon,” De La Hoya told Thaboxingvoice.com’s Josh Grayfer.
De La Hoya has made these kind of statements to multiple websites over the past few weeks, including Boxingscene.com, telling the site that Canelo-Cotto can do 2 million PPV buys.
However, he has only ever given his opinion about Canelo-Cotto being boxing’s number one fight through the negativity that Mayweather-Pacquiao has received. But De La Hoya has actually laid out his rationality behind the bold statements he’s made as it pertains to the power of Canelo-Cotto.
“Canelo-Cotto, the reason why I say it is the biggest fight that can be made today is because not only do you have the fight fans who will watch, but now you’re bringing in the women that follow Cotto, that love Cotto, and the millions of women that love Canelo.”
When De La Hoya met Felix Trinidad in September 1999 the fight was a huge success and the lead up to the fight was massive. Women filled the arena on fight night, but their presence was also felt at the media events for the fight. Trinidad was a sex symbol, De La Hoya was a bigger sex symbol. The fight had everything, all of the fixtures necessary for a successful event, perhaps none more important for the historical relevance than the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry that thrived throughout the promotion.
De La Hoya sees all of those same elements in Canelo-Cotto magnified to the fullest extent.
“You have the Puerto Rican-Mexican element to it, but then you have the part of it that is so competitive. Cotto demonstrated against Martinez that he hasn’t lost a step, he’s actually gotten better with Freddie Roach, Canelo is just getting better so really you have two fighters at their peak. Mexican-Puerto Rican at their peak, women clamor over them, this has the ingredients to be the biggest event in boxing history.”
s the potential matchup between Puerto Rico’s lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez bigger than one of greatest matchups in the history of the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry – Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad? De La Hoya seems to think that it has the potential to be the biggest fight in the rivalry’s history.
Canelo and Cotto is being proposed for May of next year. It is a significant fight, and according to De La Hoya it is the biggest fight that can be made in boxing. He is on record of saying that it has surpassed the desire fans have for seeing the long awaited showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
It is no secret that De La Hoya feels this way and his logic is sound. The fact is nobody believes the fight will ever take place between the pound for pound kingpin and the pride of the Philippines, but fans are growing tired of the idea as a whole. Both fighters have danced around the subject for so long that a new desire seems to have taken over in the form of Canelo-Cotto.
“Forget about Mayweather- Pacquiao, let’s start talking about Canelo-Cotto. From the feedback that I’ve been receiving everywhere I go, phone calls that I get, emails I receive, it’s Canelo-Cotto. We feel that it’s our obligation as Canelo’s promoter to hopefully make that happen relatively soon,” De La Hoya told Thaboxingvoice.com’s Josh Grayfer.
De La Hoya has made these kind of statements to multiple websites over the past few weeks, including Boxingscene.com, telling the site that Canelo-Cotto can do 2 million PPV buys.
However, he has only ever given his opinion about Canelo-Cotto being boxing’s number one fight through the negativity that Mayweather-Pacquiao has received. But De La Hoya has actually laid out his rationality behind the bold statements he’s made as it pertains to the power of Canelo-Cotto.
“Canelo-Cotto, the reason why I say it is the biggest fight that can be made today is because not only do you have the fight fans who will watch, but now you’re bringing in the women that follow Cotto, that love Cotto, and the millions of women that love Canelo.”
When De La Hoya met Felix Trinidad in September 1999 the fight was a huge success and the lead up to the fight was massive. Women filled the arena on fight night, but their presence was also felt at the media events for the fight. Trinidad was a sex symbol, De La Hoya was a bigger sex symbol. The fight had everything, all of the fixtures necessary for a successful event, perhaps none more important for the historical relevance than the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry that thrived throughout the promotion.
De La Hoya sees all of those same elements in Canelo-Cotto magnified to the fullest extent.
“You have the Puerto Rican-Mexican element to it, but then you have the part of it that is so competitive. Cotto demonstrated against Martinez that he hasn’t lost a step, he’s actually gotten better with Freddie Roach, Canelo is just getting better so really you have two fighters at their peak. Mexican-Puerto Rican at their peak, women clamor over them, this has the ingredients to be the biggest event in boxing history.”