Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
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so it looks like bob arum will have the right to promote mosley in his next fight after pac. makes sense this was part of the deal and why arum wanted pac vs mosley so bad he's essentially a top rank fighter now. i can already see if margarito beats cotto mosley could rematch margarito. or in some crazy way if cotton loses to mayorga mosley could fight him. pretty smart. also good news is pacquiao said now and arum that pacquiao will fight six more times then retire.
Cotto vs. Pac and Cotto vs. Margarito were dope ass fights!!!!
Pac vs. margarito, Pac vs. Clottey, Cotto vs. foreman, and now pac vs. mosely are SHITTY fights!!!!!!
dont really wanna see more like these...
i think we as fans who pay for em (well most pay) deserve top notch fights.... but knowing the "Bob Father" thins wont change....
Pac vs. margarito, Pac vs. Clottey, Cotto vs. foreman, and now pac vs. mosely are SHITTY fights!!!!!!
dont really wanna see more like these...
i think we as fans who pay for em (well most pay) deserve top notch fights.... but knowing the "Bob Father" thins wont change....
the only one there that shouldn't be happening probably is pac-mosley.
pac-clottey ended up a boring one sided fight, so in hindsight it's easy to say it was a bad fight, but on paper it was a good match and clottey was the highest ranked welterweight available for pac at the time (remember this was the result of the failed mayweather negotiations and mosley-berto were scheduled to fight).
I think cotto vs foreman was a good fight for one, that was cotto coming off a bad loss to pacquiao, it was against the undefeated jewish fighter and it got the highest ratings for any HBO fight in 2010.
most of these fights are fine. the problem is when other more deserving guys get shut out and that I totally agree with you on
pac-clottey ended up a boring one sided fight, so in hindsight it's easy to say it was a bad fight, but on paper it was a good match and clottey was the highest ranked welterweight available for pac at the time (remember this was the result of the failed mayweather negotiations and mosley-berto were scheduled to fight).
I think cotto vs foreman was a good fight for one, that was cotto coming off a bad loss to pacquiao, it was against the undefeated jewish fighter and it got the highest ratings for any HBO fight in 2010.
most of these fights are fine. the problem is when other more deserving guys get shut out and that I totally agree with you on
Roach Rips Alexander Over Khan Jab: He Won't Get To Us
By Chris LaBate
Freddie Roach has fired back at WBC junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander over his critical comments about WBA king Amir Khan. Alexander is not buying the hype that surrounds Khan and his accomplishments. He said Khan an "okay" fighter but not much more than that.
"Khan is an okay fighter, but he's no big deal," Alexander said. "People are making a big hype about him but I don't know what all the hype is about. He has a little power behind him but people think he is more than what I think he is. The winner of Alexander v Bradley doesn't have to go after Amir Khan. The winner of this fight is going to be No. 1 in the division. [Juan Manuel] Marquez is a bigger fight than Khan so it's about chasing him. Khan is not the cash cow at 140-pounds."
Roach, who took over the training duties for Khan in 2009, is not impressed with Alexander. He doesn't seem to care about the critical comments because the trainer is fully behind Timothy Bradley beating Alexander on January 29 in Pontiac, Michigan.
"Who has Devon Alexander fought?" Roach said to BoxingScene.com. "I mean, I've never seen him fight, to be honest with you. That's how popular he is with me. We won't get a chance to fight him because he can't beat Bradley
By Chris LaBate
Freddie Roach has fired back at WBC junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander over his critical comments about WBA king Amir Khan. Alexander is not buying the hype that surrounds Khan and his accomplishments. He said Khan an "okay" fighter but not much more than that.
"Khan is an okay fighter, but he's no big deal," Alexander said. "People are making a big hype about him but I don't know what all the hype is about. He has a little power behind him but people think he is more than what I think he is. The winner of Alexander v Bradley doesn't have to go after Amir Khan. The winner of this fight is going to be No. 1 in the division. [Juan Manuel] Marquez is a bigger fight than Khan so it's about chasing him. Khan is not the cash cow at 140-pounds."
Roach, who took over the training duties for Khan in 2009, is not impressed with Alexander. He doesn't seem to care about the critical comments because the trainer is fully behind Timothy Bradley beating Alexander on January 29 in Pontiac, Michigan.
"Who has Devon Alexander fought?" Roach said to BoxingScene.com. "I mean, I've never seen him fight, to be honest with you. That's how popular he is with me. We won't get a chance to fight him because he can't beat Bradley
Winky Wright-Matthew Macklin is Signed For April 9
By Lem Satterfield
According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, and a source close to promoter Frank Warren, former world champion Winky Wright will end a near two-year ring absence on April 9 when the 39-year-old will take on middleweight Matthew Macklin of England, likely on the under card of a main event matching Mexican, three-division champions, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales in a lightweight (135 pounds) clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
By Lem Satterfield
According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, and a source close to promoter Frank Warren, former world champion Winky Wright will end a near two-year ring absence on April 9 when the 39-year-old will take on middleweight Matthew Macklin of England, likely on the under card of a main event matching Mexican, three-division champions, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales in a lightweight (135 pounds) clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Khan-McCloskey: Will HBO agree to show this?
By Scott Gilfoid: I’d love to be a fly on the wall at HBO headquarters as they discuss whether to serve up Amir Khan’s fight against hand-picked unknown Paul McCloskey on April 16th to their loyal HBO subscribers in the United States. Few casual fans in the U.S have even heard of Khan, and now Khan and his promoters are looking to put him in with a fighter that only UK boxing fans are familiar with. That’s not exactly the smartest thing to do if you ask me.
If Khan wants to fight a local domestic fighter, then he needs to but not with HBO showing the fight. The last time I checked, McCloskey has never even faced a top tier world class opponent during his career. And this the guy that Khan wants to fight next? Figures. HBO and Sky Sports are deciding whether to agree to show Khan’s next fight with McCloskey as the opponent.
Khan could have selected the dangerous puncher Breidis Prescott, who American and UK fans are familiar with, but Khan wants McCloskey. Prescott just happens to have a 1st knockout win over Khan in 2008. I wonder if that has anything to do with Khan not wanting to fight Prescott? Lamont Peterson, #6 WBA ranked contender, was in the running for this fight but the word is he priced himself out. I wonder if Khan’s management quickly abandoned that fight without hearing a counter offer from Peterson’s people? I hate that fight, too, because Peterson was batted around by Victor Ortiz in his last fight in December and got what I consider a gift 10 round draw after getting knocked down twice. HBO, like myself, had Ortiz beating Peterson.
I’m hoping HBO says no to Khans’ choice of McCloskey and makes him find a suitable opponent like Prescott or Lucas Matthysse. Those are the only guys I want to see Khan face other than a rematch with Maidana without Joe Cortez as the referee.
By Scott Gilfoid: I’d love to be a fly on the wall at HBO headquarters as they discuss whether to serve up Amir Khan’s fight against hand-picked unknown Paul McCloskey on April 16th to their loyal HBO subscribers in the United States. Few casual fans in the U.S have even heard of Khan, and now Khan and his promoters are looking to put him in with a fighter that only UK boxing fans are familiar with. That’s not exactly the smartest thing to do if you ask me.
If Khan wants to fight a local domestic fighter, then he needs to but not with HBO showing the fight. The last time I checked, McCloskey has never even faced a top tier world class opponent during his career. And this the guy that Khan wants to fight next? Figures. HBO and Sky Sports are deciding whether to agree to show Khan’s next fight with McCloskey as the opponent.
Khan could have selected the dangerous puncher Breidis Prescott, who American and UK fans are familiar with, but Khan wants McCloskey. Prescott just happens to have a 1st knockout win over Khan in 2008. I wonder if that has anything to do with Khan not wanting to fight Prescott? Lamont Peterson, #6 WBA ranked contender, was in the running for this fight but the word is he priced himself out. I wonder if Khan’s management quickly abandoned that fight without hearing a counter offer from Peterson’s people? I hate that fight, too, because Peterson was batted around by Victor Ortiz in his last fight in December and got what I consider a gift 10 round draw after getting knocked down twice. HBO, like myself, had Ortiz beating Peterson.
I’m hoping HBO says no to Khans’ choice of McCloskey and makes him find a suitable opponent like Prescott or Lucas Matthysse. Those are the only guys I want to see Khan face other than a rematch with Maidana without Joe Cortez as the referee.
Pacquiao won’t fight Marquez, Martinez and Berto, shouldn’t he just retire?
Chris Williams: We recently learned that Manny Pacquiao is going to stick around for a little while longer, possibly long enough to fight six more fights. I’m not the type to buy into any arbitrary number thrown out by promoters, so I’ll just assume that the latest number is just something spit out without much meaning. Who knows how long Pacquiao will fight, because he could end up fighting long past six more fights especially with the way he’s being matched.
But my question is what’s the point in Pacquiao continuing to fight if he’s not going to face Juan Manuel Marquez, Sergio Martinez or Andre Berto. Right now, those are the only guys worth putting him in with. I’m holding off on the most obvious choice for Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather Jr. until he finishes his legal problems. Who knows when that stuff will be off his plate and he’ll be ready to return to the ring. But I don’t want to see Pacquiao facing his promoter’s fighters over and over again without stop.
We’re probably going to be seeing Pacquiao face Miguel Cotto again really soon, and who knows, probably Antonio Margarito as well after he slices and dices Cotto later in the summer. Who wants to see Pacquiao Cotto and Margarito again? I sure don’t. But if Pacquiao does stick around for another couple of years, my guess those two fighters and possibly Joshua Clottey will be at least three of the fighters that Pacquiao faces during that time.
As far as the rest goes, we could see Pacquiao facing one or two other Top Rank fighters like Yuri Foreman, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., even though he’s a middleweight and we were told that Pacquiao wasn’t going to be facing big fighters anymore shortly after Sergio Martinez destroyed Paul Williams.
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Chris Williams: We recently learned that Manny Pacquiao is going to stick around for a little while longer, possibly long enough to fight six more fights. I’m not the type to buy into any arbitrary number thrown out by promoters, so I’ll just assume that the latest number is just something spit out without much meaning. Who knows how long Pacquiao will fight, because he could end up fighting long past six more fights especially with the way he’s being matched.
But my question is what’s the point in Pacquiao continuing to fight if he’s not going to face Juan Manuel Marquez, Sergio Martinez or Andre Berto. Right now, those are the only guys worth putting him in with. I’m holding off on the most obvious choice for Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather Jr. until he finishes his legal problems. Who knows when that stuff will be off his plate and he’ll be ready to return to the ring. But I don’t want to see Pacquiao facing his promoter’s fighters over and over again without stop.
We’re probably going to be seeing Pacquiao face Miguel Cotto again really soon, and who knows, probably Antonio Margarito as well after he slices and dices Cotto later in the summer. Who wants to see Pacquiao Cotto and Margarito again? I sure don’t. But if Pacquiao does stick around for another couple of years, my guess those two fighters and possibly Joshua Clottey will be at least three of the fighters that Pacquiao faces during that time.
As far as the rest goes, we could see Pacquiao facing one or two other Top Rank fighters like Yuri Foreman, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., even though he’s a middleweight and we were told that Pacquiao wasn’t going to be facing big fighters anymore shortly after Sergio Martinez destroyed Paul Williams.
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Do people like this get paid to write? If so, consider me impressed that this dude can get paid for bad writing and silly opinions. How is Prescott a more suitable opponent than McCloskey? McCloskey has beat all the domestic talent in his area and there's no real paper champ at 140lb for him to fight to get into the big stage. It's either go big or go home and McCloskey wants to test the waters.
Prescott on the other hand has proven himself to be one punch against Khan. He was soundly trumped by 2 LW's and a fight against Khan would be nearly a guaranteed crushing. McCloskey probably gets smashed on too but he definitely deserves it more than Prescott, by far.
Merchant Hopes Bradley-Alexander Creates a New Star
By Chris Robinson
During his tenure with HBO, Larry Merchant has left an undeniable mark because of his straightforward nature and peculiar insight. The veteran analyst isn’t one to shy away from stating his true feelings on any aspect in the sport but when taking a look at the January 29th Timothy Bradley-Devon Alexander clash, Merchant can’t help but to have his curiosities perked.
The 27-year old Bradley, by way of Palm Springs, California, is the slight favorite going into the contest against Alexander, a well-rounded southpaw from St. Louis. The fight serves as HBO’s first key attraction to the New Year and will also play a huge role into the future of several other stars in the 140-pound division.
Already there has been a serious amount of trash talk coming from both parties and things will reach a climax in less than two weeks’ time. Continue reading below for a few sound bytes from Merchant as he analyzes the importance of a Bradley-Alexander clash, the impression each man has left on him, and whether or not the war of words taking place has gotten too personal...
Ready to happen…
“It’s a fight that has been longing for a couple of years and ripening. Now it’s ready to happen. My hope is that two fighters resumes that they’re more pure boxer than brawler and somehow the magnitude of the event and the importance of it to them ignites a crowd-pleasing fight. And boxing in general hopes that it can happen because it could mean so much to a division with a lot of young talent.”
Alexander’s star potential…
“Honestly I didn’t see that much of him but I had heard of him and people [were] seeing him as a serious prospect rather than a suspect. So I have watched him of course the last couple of years and I like what I see. The question is, what direction is he going to go in as a possible, serious prime-time fighter?”
Alexander’s promoter Don King…
“King hasn’t had a serious heavyweight for a long time. I guess the mere fact that he still has a few fighters that might achieve something important is in itself a surprise. Although you never counted him out, King hasn’t been a heavyweight in the promoting business for quite sometime, much less promoting heavyweights. I remember he had Cory Spinks, from St. Louis, and rode him for a while. Quite frankly I’m hoping that Alexander doesn’t turn out to be that kind of a fighter. First, second, and third priority is to not get hit.”
Bradley still hungry…
“I like Timothy Bradley because he has an aggressive attitude if not an aggressive style. I don’t know if he is as skilled as Alexander but he has a real good sense of what he needs to do in the ring. He always comes in supreme condition and he remains a hungry fighter. And now we’ll see how he deals with this challenge.”
Trash talk gotten under either man’s skin?
“I really can’t tell. Some guys shrug it off. They think it is part of how they have to market themselves and promote a particular fight. Maybe that suggests that each of them is confident in their abilities, at least on the surface. But I’m sure each of them also has questions about himself and knows that they are going to provide answers not just for us but for themselves in this fight.”
By Chris Robinson
During his tenure with HBO, Larry Merchant has left an undeniable mark because of his straightforward nature and peculiar insight. The veteran analyst isn’t one to shy away from stating his true feelings on any aspect in the sport but when taking a look at the January 29th Timothy Bradley-Devon Alexander clash, Merchant can’t help but to have his curiosities perked.
The 27-year old Bradley, by way of Palm Springs, California, is the slight favorite going into the contest against Alexander, a well-rounded southpaw from St. Louis. The fight serves as HBO’s first key attraction to the New Year and will also play a huge role into the future of several other stars in the 140-pound division.
Already there has been a serious amount of trash talk coming from both parties and things will reach a climax in less than two weeks’ time. Continue reading below for a few sound bytes from Merchant as he analyzes the importance of a Bradley-Alexander clash, the impression each man has left on him, and whether or not the war of words taking place has gotten too personal...
Ready to happen…
“It’s a fight that has been longing for a couple of years and ripening. Now it’s ready to happen. My hope is that two fighters resumes that they’re more pure boxer than brawler and somehow the magnitude of the event and the importance of it to them ignites a crowd-pleasing fight. And boxing in general hopes that it can happen because it could mean so much to a division with a lot of young talent.”
Alexander’s star potential…
“Honestly I didn’t see that much of him but I had heard of him and people [were] seeing him as a serious prospect rather than a suspect. So I have watched him of course the last couple of years and I like what I see. The question is, what direction is he going to go in as a possible, serious prime-time fighter?”
Alexander’s promoter Don King…
“King hasn’t had a serious heavyweight for a long time. I guess the mere fact that he still has a few fighters that might achieve something important is in itself a surprise. Although you never counted him out, King hasn’t been a heavyweight in the promoting business for quite sometime, much less promoting heavyweights. I remember he had Cory Spinks, from St. Louis, and rode him for a while. Quite frankly I’m hoping that Alexander doesn’t turn out to be that kind of a fighter. First, second, and third priority is to not get hit.”
Bradley still hungry…
“I like Timothy Bradley because he has an aggressive attitude if not an aggressive style. I don’t know if he is as skilled as Alexander but he has a real good sense of what he needs to do in the ring. He always comes in supreme condition and he remains a hungry fighter. And now we’ll see how he deals with this challenge.”
Trash talk gotten under either man’s skin?
“I really can’t tell. Some guys shrug it off. They think it is part of how they have to market themselves and promote a particular fight. Maybe that suggests that each of them is confident in their abilities, at least on the surface. But I’m sure each of them also has questions about himself and knows that they are going to provide answers not just for us but for themselves in this fight.”
Promoters Believe Alexander-Bradley Bigger Than The Site
By Michael Marley
Co-promoters Big Gary Shaw and Don King did not mention any specifics, gave no numbers as to ticket sales at the Pontiac Silverdome, site of the Jan. 29 highly-publicized Devon Alexander-Tim Bradley junior welterweight unification, but they did present a united front on a recent media conference call.
I reported last Thursday that, at the time I penned the article, only 339 tickets had been paid for in the 80,000-seat domed stadium, which is being "curtained off" for a max crowd of 15,000.
Neither Shaw nor King denied that ticket sales are lagging with one main event fighter from Palm Springs and the other from St. Louis.
But they both defended the Greater Detroit venue and selection of same. Shaw and King just banked $225,000 each as their share of the site fee.
"This will show...Detroit is alive and kicking," King said with his trademark bombast. "The theme we take (here) is resurgence and I think it's provocatively beautiful. This will be (like) an infomercial...this will show that Motown is alive and ready."
Shaw was not as poetic but he said anemic attendance is not as important as the actual fight itself.
"I think (Pontiac) is a terrific place to do this fight," Shaw said. "HBO will be putting big spotlight on the area."
Shaw made reference to the May 7, 2005, Las Vegas fight between Chico Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, which has become known as an "instant classic" as Corrales came back from two knockdowns to controversially stop the Mexican fighter in the 10th round.
Various reports cited a crowd of either 5,203 or 5,168 at Mandalay Bay but Shaw said the bout actually sold only about 2,000 tickets. They fought again on Oct. 8 of the same year and Castillo rebounded, winning on a fourth round KO. Corrales died as a result of a motorcycle crash in Las Vegas on May 7, 2007--two years to the day after their first brawl.
Shaw said economic comebacks by area automakers prove that the situation in the historic "Motor City" and environs is improving.
If Bradley could go to England to whip Junior Witter, he couldn't go to Alexander's hometown where a 12,000-seat sellout would have pumped electricity into the telecast? I'm just saying...
By Michael Marley
Co-promoters Big Gary Shaw and Don King did not mention any specifics, gave no numbers as to ticket sales at the Pontiac Silverdome, site of the Jan. 29 highly-publicized Devon Alexander-Tim Bradley junior welterweight unification, but they did present a united front on a recent media conference call.
I reported last Thursday that, at the time I penned the article, only 339 tickets had been paid for in the 80,000-seat domed stadium, which is being "curtained off" for a max crowd of 15,000.
Neither Shaw nor King denied that ticket sales are lagging with one main event fighter from Palm Springs and the other from St. Louis.
But they both defended the Greater Detroit venue and selection of same. Shaw and King just banked $225,000 each as their share of the site fee.
"This will show...Detroit is alive and kicking," King said with his trademark bombast. "The theme we take (here) is resurgence and I think it's provocatively beautiful. This will be (like) an infomercial...this will show that Motown is alive and ready."
Shaw was not as poetic but he said anemic attendance is not as important as the actual fight itself.
"I think (Pontiac) is a terrific place to do this fight," Shaw said. "HBO will be putting big spotlight on the area."
Shaw made reference to the May 7, 2005, Las Vegas fight between Chico Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, which has become known as an "instant classic" as Corrales came back from two knockdowns to controversially stop the Mexican fighter in the 10th round.
Various reports cited a crowd of either 5,203 or 5,168 at Mandalay Bay but Shaw said the bout actually sold only about 2,000 tickets. They fought again on Oct. 8 of the same year and Castillo rebounded, winning on a fourth round KO. Corrales died as a result of a motorcycle crash in Las Vegas on May 7, 2007--two years to the day after their first brawl.
Shaw said economic comebacks by area automakers prove that the situation in the historic "Motor City" and environs is improving.
If Bradley could go to England to whip Junior Witter, he couldn't go to Alexander's hometown where a 12,000-seat sellout would have pumped electricity into the telecast? I'm just saying...
Haye’s April fight with Chagaev in doubt
By Sean McDaniel: WBA heavyweight champion David Haye’s April title defense against former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (27-1, 17 KO’s) is very much in doubt because of the 32-year-old Chagaev’s past Hepatitis B problems. The British Boxing of Control are likely not going to permit Chagaev to enter the UK to fight Haye.
With Chagaev not being allowed to fight Haye in the UK, Haye will have to find another opponent to defend his title against and it’s going to have to be one of his contenders unless he can pay them to step aside so that he can go after WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. Adam Booth, the manager/trainer for Haye, talked about wanting to match Haye up with Vitali for a fight in May. This obviously can’t happen because of the television problems. It will have to take place on July 2nd or it will have to wait a little longer.
With Haye retiring in October of this year, he’s got to move quickly to get at least one big money fight against one of the Klitschkos before he retires. If he misses out on this fight, Haye will be retiring with a lot less money in his pocket.
Haye might have to fight Denis Boytsov or Alexander Povetkin next, and neither of those fights are particularly appealing. Boytsov has a hand problem and it might keep him out of action for a little while longer. And with Povetkin, it’s unclear if he’ll take the fight. If he does, it would be a dangerous bout for Haye because Povetkin is perhaps the 4th best fighter in the division right now. Some experts rank Tomasz Adamek above him, but I personally think Povetkin is a better heavyweight than Adamek due his better work rate and superior chin.
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By Sean McDaniel: WBA heavyweight champion David Haye’s April title defense against former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev (27-1, 17 KO’s) is very much in doubt because of the 32-year-old Chagaev’s past Hepatitis B problems. The British Boxing of Control are likely not going to permit Chagaev to enter the UK to fight Haye.
With Chagaev not being allowed to fight Haye in the UK, Haye will have to find another opponent to defend his title against and it’s going to have to be one of his contenders unless he can pay them to step aside so that he can go after WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. Adam Booth, the manager/trainer for Haye, talked about wanting to match Haye up with Vitali for a fight in May. This obviously can’t happen because of the television problems. It will have to take place on July 2nd or it will have to wait a little longer.
With Haye retiring in October of this year, he’s got to move quickly to get at least one big money fight against one of the Klitschkos before he retires. If he misses out on this fight, Haye will be retiring with a lot less money in his pocket.
Haye might have to fight Denis Boytsov or Alexander Povetkin next, and neither of those fights are particularly appealing. Boytsov has a hand problem and it might keep him out of action for a little while longer. And with Povetkin, it’s unclear if he’ll take the fight. If he does, it would be a dangerous bout for Haye because Povetkin is perhaps the 4th best fighter in the division right now. Some experts rank Tomasz Adamek above him, but I personally think Povetkin is a better heavyweight than Adamek due his better work rate and superior chin.
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woah, pretty shocking.
John Duddy calls time on boxing career
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 23:04
John Duddy has announced that he is retiring from boxing after turning down a reported purse 'in excess of $100,000' to fight compatriot Andy Lee in March.
The battle of the Irish middleweights was scheduled to take place in Connecticut on the undercard of the Sergio Martinez versus Serhiy Dzinziruk bout on 12 March.
The Derry Destroyer released a statement on Tuesday confirming that he had retired after 'a great deal of soul-searching' and stated that his decision is final stating, 'I give you my word; I will not come back'.
Duddy's decision, once again, leaves Andy Lee without a fight after the Limerick boxer's last scheduled bout was cancelled when the Wladimir Klitschko world title fight with Dereck Chisora was postponed.
The statement released by Duddy read: 'After 'a great deal of soul-searching, I have decided to retire from boxing.
'In many ways, continuing to fight would be the easy course of action. I have been offered the opportunity to fight Andy Lee on HBO for a purse in excess of $100,000. A win would put me in position to fight for a world championship. This is not an opportunity that I cast aside lightly.
'For more than twenty years, I loved being a boxer. I still feel that it's an enormous honor to be a boxer. But I don't love it anymore.
'I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honor the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it's a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don't. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won't return.
'It would be unfair to my fans, my trainer and manager, and everyone else involved in the promotion of my fights for me to continue boxing when I know that my heart isn't in it. I've always given one hundred percent in the gym and in my fights. I have too much respect for boxing and the people around me to continue fighting when I know that I can't do that anymore.
'I haven't accomplished everything that I wanted to achieve in boxing. But I've had a rewarding career. I've enjoyed the satisfaction of winning twenty-nine professional fights and learned lessons from my two losses. I've experienced the thrill of fighting in Madison Square Garden, Cowboys Stadium, and, also, my beloved Ireland with crowds cheering for me. I look forward to finding future challenges that bring as much passion and joy into my life as boxing has over the past twenty years.
'I give you my word; I will not come back.'
John Duddy calls time on boxing career
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 23:04
John Duddy has announced that he is retiring from boxing after turning down a reported purse 'in excess of $100,000' to fight compatriot Andy Lee in March.
The battle of the Irish middleweights was scheduled to take place in Connecticut on the undercard of the Sergio Martinez versus Serhiy Dzinziruk bout on 12 March.
The Derry Destroyer released a statement on Tuesday confirming that he had retired after 'a great deal of soul-searching' and stated that his decision is final stating, 'I give you my word; I will not come back'.
Duddy's decision, once again, leaves Andy Lee without a fight after the Limerick boxer's last scheduled bout was cancelled when the Wladimir Klitschko world title fight with Dereck Chisora was postponed.
The statement released by Duddy read: 'After 'a great deal of soul-searching, I have decided to retire from boxing.
'In many ways, continuing to fight would be the easy course of action. I have been offered the opportunity to fight Andy Lee on HBO for a purse in excess of $100,000. A win would put me in position to fight for a world championship. This is not an opportunity that I cast aside lightly.
'For more than twenty years, I loved being a boxer. I still feel that it's an enormous honor to be a boxer. But I don't love it anymore.
'I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honor the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it's a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don't. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won't return.
'It would be unfair to my fans, my trainer and manager, and everyone else involved in the promotion of my fights for me to continue boxing when I know that my heart isn't in it. I've always given one hundred percent in the gym and in my fights. I have too much respect for boxing and the people around me to continue fighting when I know that I can't do that anymore.
'I haven't accomplished everything that I wanted to achieve in boxing. But I've had a rewarding career. I've enjoyed the satisfaction of winning twenty-nine professional fights and learned lessons from my two losses. I've experienced the thrill of fighting in Madison Square Garden, Cowboys Stadium, and, also, my beloved Ireland with crowds cheering for me. I look forward to finding future challenges that bring as much passion and joy into my life as boxing has over the past twenty years.
'I give you my word; I will not come back.'
John Duddy retires from boxing, fight with Andy Lee off
By Jim Dower: It’s official, middleweight contender John Duddy has retired from boxing and his scheduled March 12th fight with Andy Lee is now off, according to news from Rte Sport. Duddy reportedly turned down $100,00 to fight the southpaw Lee. About his retirement, Duddy said “A great deal of soul searching..I give you my world, I will not come back.” Duddy was recently beaten by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last year by a lopsided 12 round decision in June. Duddy looked discouraged at times in the fight and took a great deal of punishment.
Duddy had won three fights going into the Chavez fight after having been beaten by the smallish junior middleweight fringe contender Billy Lyell in April 2009. The loss to Lyell really took the winds out of Duddy’s sails, as he was being considered for an eventual title shot against WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik at the time of the loss. That defeat was a huge setback for Duddy. He did, however, pick up a good win over contender Michael Median in March last year, beating him by a 10 round split decision on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, But when Duddy was matched against Chavez, it was a make or break fight for him, and unfortunately Duddy didn’t have the skills to overcome Chavez’s superior hand speed and power.
With Duddy retiring, Lee is now without an opponent for the March 12th fight. The winner of the Duddy-Lee fight was supposed to be a potential opponent for WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez to fight. It would have been a good payday for Duddy had he gotten to that stage. However, Lee was heavily favored to beat Duddy and it would have taken a lot for Duddy to have pulled off a win.
Duddy said “I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honour the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it’s a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don’t. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won’t return.”
By Jim Dower: It’s official, middleweight contender John Duddy has retired from boxing and his scheduled March 12th fight with Andy Lee is now off, according to news from Rte Sport. Duddy reportedly turned down $100,00 to fight the southpaw Lee. About his retirement, Duddy said “A great deal of soul searching..I give you my world, I will not come back.” Duddy was recently beaten by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last year by a lopsided 12 round decision in June. Duddy looked discouraged at times in the fight and took a great deal of punishment.
Duddy had won three fights going into the Chavez fight after having been beaten by the smallish junior middleweight fringe contender Billy Lyell in April 2009. The loss to Lyell really took the winds out of Duddy’s sails, as he was being considered for an eventual title shot against WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik at the time of the loss. That defeat was a huge setback for Duddy. He did, however, pick up a good win over contender Michael Median in March last year, beating him by a 10 round split decision on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, But when Duddy was matched against Chavez, it was a make or break fight for him, and unfortunately Duddy didn’t have the skills to overcome Chavez’s superior hand speed and power.
With Duddy retiring, Lee is now without an opponent for the March 12th fight. The winner of the Duddy-Lee fight was supposed to be a potential opponent for WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez to fight. It would have been a good payday for Duddy had he gotten to that stage. However, Lee was heavily favored to beat Duddy and it would have taken a lot for Duddy to have pulled off a win.
Duddy said “I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honour the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it’s a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don’t. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won’t return.”
Lamon Brewster Reveals How He Beat Wladimir Klitschko
By Lem Satterfield
Nicknamed, "Steelhammer," WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 knockouts), of the Ukraine will be after his 14th straight win and his 11th knockout during that stretch on April 30 when he meets Zimbabwe native Dereck Chisora (14-0, nine KOs) of London.
Klitschko has not lost since being stopped by Lamon Brewster (35-6, 30 KOs) in the fifth round in April 2004, and Klitschko's winning streak includes a a July 2007 sixth-round stoppage of Brewster. During a recent interview, Brewster disclosed his secret to beating Klitschko.
"I did what any smart person would do, I studied tapes. I took advantage of his weaknesses, I made a plan and I followed it out. That's the only way to beat a guy like Wladimir Klitschko. He's a great fighter as you can tell. He still has his title and I told people not to give up on him after I defeated him. But I was just the better man that day because I was the most prepared, and I beat through that way, with determination," Brewster told FanHouse.
Brewster said he was able to get inside of Klitschko's long jab by using a combination of footwork and pressure. He says most pressure fighters who went up against the Klitschko brothers, like Chris Arreola, ignored good footwork.
"Pressure busts pipes. If you watch my footwork, the difference between me and [Chris] Arreola, is that Arreola is a plodder and only relied on his strength and said to himself 'let me pressure this guy because he's tall and he'll wear himself down' and a lot of hispanic fighters have that mentality. Like [Julio Cesar] Chavez, who is one of my idols. That's what he did, but Chavez had great footwork, he was always on the balls of his feet, he used angles and he cut the body down," Brewster said.
By Lem Satterfield
Nicknamed, "Steelhammer," WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titlist Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 knockouts), of the Ukraine will be after his 14th straight win and his 11th knockout during that stretch on April 30 when he meets Zimbabwe native Dereck Chisora (14-0, nine KOs) of London.
Klitschko has not lost since being stopped by Lamon Brewster (35-6, 30 KOs) in the fifth round in April 2004, and Klitschko's winning streak includes a a July 2007 sixth-round stoppage of Brewster. During a recent interview, Brewster disclosed his secret to beating Klitschko.
"I did what any smart person would do, I studied tapes. I took advantage of his weaknesses, I made a plan and I followed it out. That's the only way to beat a guy like Wladimir Klitschko. He's a great fighter as you can tell. He still has his title and I told people not to give up on him after I defeated him. But I was just the better man that day because I was the most prepared, and I beat through that way, with determination," Brewster told FanHouse.
Brewster said he was able to get inside of Klitschko's long jab by using a combination of footwork and pressure. He says most pressure fighters who went up against the Klitschko brothers, like Chris Arreola, ignored good footwork.
"Pressure busts pipes. If you watch my footwork, the difference between me and [Chris] Arreola, is that Arreola is a plodder and only relied on his strength and said to himself 'let me pressure this guy because he's tall and he'll wear himself down' and a lot of hispanic fighters have that mentality. Like [Julio Cesar] Chavez, who is one of my idols. That's what he did, but Chavez had great footwork, he was always on the balls of his feet, he used angles and he cut the body down," Brewster said.
Ishe Smith: If McEwen Won't Fight, I'll Fight Andy Lee
Ryan Burton
On Tuesday, BoxingScene.com reported that Irish middleweight contender John Duddy announced his retirement from boxing. Duddy left a six-figure payday on the table when he made the decision to retire. A fight against Andy Lee was set to take place as the HBO co-featured bout to Sergio Martinez-Sergei Dzinzurik, which takes place on March 12th.
BoxingScene's Rick Reeno posted a follow-up report, where promoter Lou DiBella disclosed that undefeated Scotsman Craig McEwan is in the running to replace Duddy as Lee's opponent.
Former Contender series participant and junior middleweight/middleweight contender, Ishe Smith, reached out to BoxingScene to throw his name in the mix.
"If they can't get Craig to fight Lee, I will step in there in a heartbeat!" said an excited Smith.
The Las Vegas resident last fought in November when he knocked out Alexander Pacheco Quiroz in a stay busy fight. Smith has been trying to land a meaningful fight in his natural junior middleweight division with no success. When he read that Duddy retired, he felt that a fight against Lee (a middleweight) on HBO would be too great an opportunity to pass up.
"I would fight Lee in a heartbeat. One call to my advisor or my promoter and we can make it happen
Ryan Burton
On Tuesday, BoxingScene.com reported that Irish middleweight contender John Duddy announced his retirement from boxing. Duddy left a six-figure payday on the table when he made the decision to retire. A fight against Andy Lee was set to take place as the HBO co-featured bout to Sergio Martinez-Sergei Dzinzurik, which takes place on March 12th.
BoxingScene's Rick Reeno posted a follow-up report, where promoter Lou DiBella disclosed that undefeated Scotsman Craig McEwan is in the running to replace Duddy as Lee's opponent.
Former Contender series participant and junior middleweight/middleweight contender, Ishe Smith, reached out to BoxingScene to throw his name in the mix.
"If they can't get Craig to fight Lee, I will step in there in a heartbeat!" said an excited Smith.
The Las Vegas resident last fought in November when he knocked out Alexander Pacheco Quiroz in a stay busy fight. Smith has been trying to land a meaningful fight in his natural junior middleweight division with no success. When he read that Duddy retired, he felt that a fight against Lee (a middleweight) on HBO would be too great an opportunity to pass up.
"I would fight Lee in a heartbeat. One call to my advisor or my promoter and we can make it happen
Bradley-Alexander Winner Best at 140, Regardless of Belts
By Jake Donovan
One sanctioning body decided the bout didn’t warrant their belt being at stake. Depending on the outcome of this particular fight, it’s very likely that another alphabet belt will be up for grabs soon thereafter.
Those who crown lineal champions are coming out of the woodwork, taking a “not yet” stance in filling the void left behind when Manny Pacquiao decided his fight with Ricky Hatton would be the only time he’d ever fight at junior welterweight.
According to ticket sales reports, it seems that the fight itself isn’t enough to revive the once rich boxing scene in Motown.
It looks like the winner of the January 29 showdown between unbeaten titlists Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander will simply have to settle for being the best 140 lb fighter in the world.
If we can agree on that, then why can’t the rest follow suit?
Fortunately for Bradley and Alexander, it doesn’t require a lot of bells and whistles in order to get them in the ring for a grudge match that’s been more than a year in the making.
Bradley (26-0-0-1NC, 11KO) has proven that much ever since entering the title picture. He was prepared to face Jose Luis Castillo in Mexico in order to earn his first alphabet title shot. The fight never happened, as Castillo showed up a full division above their contracted 140 lb. weight limit, effectively killing the fight.
A title shot was still arranged for Bradley, who traveled to jolly old England to wrest the crown from Junior Witter in what was classified at the time as a considerable upset.
What it became instead was the beginning of Bradley’s climb towards de facto divisional leader.
Four successful defenses have since followed, including well-earned decision wins over Kendall Holt and Lamont Peterson and a dominant performance in his abbreviated win-turned-no-contest against former lightweight titlist Nate Campbell.
All three of those bouts came in a 2009 campaign that earned him high praise and serious consideration for Fighter of the Year, only for such honors to go to Pacquiao.
The Fighter of the Year race wasn’t the only scenario that had Pacquiao standing in Bradley’s way. The lineal 140 lb. championship was held captive by Pacquiao, who has since spent the rest of his time at welterweight and above, forcing Bradley to settle for the title of best active fighter in the division.
Unfortunately, such accolades alone weren’t enough to entice any of the other major players in the division to share ring space with him.
His team attempted to make a fight with feared Argentinean puncher Marcos Maidana. The bout was to serve as Bradley’s HBO debut, only for a postponement followed by a cancellation killing those plans as Maidana instead pursued a clean break from the same management team that negotiated the fight and a less-than-desired purse without his approval or permission.
The end result was Bradley making a brief stop at welterweight, turning away previously unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu for his lone win of 2010, while awaiting bigger game at his natural weight class.
The temporary departure from 140 was supposed to open the door for Alexander (21-0, 13KO) to plead his case as the division’s best. The St. Louis native was well on his way to creating a stirring debate, as back-to-back eighth round stoppages of Witter and Juan Urango emphatically announced his arrival on the championship stage.
Things went a bit south in his homecoming last August, however. Some considered Alexander fortunate to have barely skated by former titlist Andriy Kotelnik in a 12-round bout whose unanimous decision verdict was widely disputed, going so far as to suggest home cooking was involved in the judges’ surprisingly decisive tallies.
The outcome of that particular bout played a part in shuffling the order near the top of the junior welterweight division.
Those who take the decision at face value and take into consideration Alexander’s overall body of work still regard the rising young star as the second best 140 lb. fighter in the world today, right behind Bradley.
Others believe that rising British phenom Amir Khan has since surged past him, citing his far more convincing win over Kotelnik a year prior as well as his surviving a major gut check against Maidana in their Fight of the Year candidate last December.
The latter scenario has thrown a monkey wrench into initial ideas of next Saturday’s showdown at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan determining junior welterweight supremacy.
Whether you’re a historian who never stopped recognizing lineal championships, or part of a magazine who claims its own championship policy, it’s nearly impossible to argue against the fact that next weekend’s winner is the best junior welterweight in the world.
What has now become subject to debate, however, is what’s left to do for said victor.
Should Alexander win, there exists a legitimate argument that he would have to beat Khan in order to remove all doubt in the divisional sweepstakes. Both have been at the title level for roughly the same amount of time, with Khan’s best moments rating higher than Alexander can claim at the moment.
But what happens if the odds hold true and Bradley emerges victorious?
Two years at the top of the division should be enough time in service for the sculpted Californian to gain universal recognition as junior welterweight king. As it stands, can you honestly make the case that Khan is better or deserves to be rated higher than Bradley?
Now ask yourself that same question after you factor in a potential Bradley win over Alexander.
In a perfect world, Khan would be ready and willing to face the winner, which of course would go a long way towards removing any and all lingering doubt.
In reality, Khan is presently in pursuit of the cheapest opponent that HBO will accept for his reserved April 16 fight date.
Bradley and Alexander have spent the past six months in pursuit of each other. The end result is the first A-level fight of 2011.
Barring a draw or no-contest, that very same fight will produce a fighter who deserves recognition as the best junior welterweight in the world, regardless of championship status or lack thereof
By Jake Donovan
One sanctioning body decided the bout didn’t warrant their belt being at stake. Depending on the outcome of this particular fight, it’s very likely that another alphabet belt will be up for grabs soon thereafter.
Those who crown lineal champions are coming out of the woodwork, taking a “not yet” stance in filling the void left behind when Manny Pacquiao decided his fight with Ricky Hatton would be the only time he’d ever fight at junior welterweight.
According to ticket sales reports, it seems that the fight itself isn’t enough to revive the once rich boxing scene in Motown.
It looks like the winner of the January 29 showdown between unbeaten titlists Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander will simply have to settle for being the best 140 lb fighter in the world.
If we can agree on that, then why can’t the rest follow suit?
Fortunately for Bradley and Alexander, it doesn’t require a lot of bells and whistles in order to get them in the ring for a grudge match that’s been more than a year in the making.
Bradley (26-0-0-1NC, 11KO) has proven that much ever since entering the title picture. He was prepared to face Jose Luis Castillo in Mexico in order to earn his first alphabet title shot. The fight never happened, as Castillo showed up a full division above their contracted 140 lb. weight limit, effectively killing the fight.
A title shot was still arranged for Bradley, who traveled to jolly old England to wrest the crown from Junior Witter in what was classified at the time as a considerable upset.
What it became instead was the beginning of Bradley’s climb towards de facto divisional leader.
Four successful defenses have since followed, including well-earned decision wins over Kendall Holt and Lamont Peterson and a dominant performance in his abbreviated win-turned-no-contest against former lightweight titlist Nate Campbell.
All three of those bouts came in a 2009 campaign that earned him high praise and serious consideration for Fighter of the Year, only for such honors to go to Pacquiao.
The Fighter of the Year race wasn’t the only scenario that had Pacquiao standing in Bradley’s way. The lineal 140 lb. championship was held captive by Pacquiao, who has since spent the rest of his time at welterweight and above, forcing Bradley to settle for the title of best active fighter in the division.
Unfortunately, such accolades alone weren’t enough to entice any of the other major players in the division to share ring space with him.
His team attempted to make a fight with feared Argentinean puncher Marcos Maidana. The bout was to serve as Bradley’s HBO debut, only for a postponement followed by a cancellation killing those plans as Maidana instead pursued a clean break from the same management team that negotiated the fight and a less-than-desired purse without his approval or permission.
The end result was Bradley making a brief stop at welterweight, turning away previously unbeaten Luis Carlos Abregu for his lone win of 2010, while awaiting bigger game at his natural weight class.
The temporary departure from 140 was supposed to open the door for Alexander (21-0, 13KO) to plead his case as the division’s best. The St. Louis native was well on his way to creating a stirring debate, as back-to-back eighth round stoppages of Witter and Juan Urango emphatically announced his arrival on the championship stage.
Things went a bit south in his homecoming last August, however. Some considered Alexander fortunate to have barely skated by former titlist Andriy Kotelnik in a 12-round bout whose unanimous decision verdict was widely disputed, going so far as to suggest home cooking was involved in the judges’ surprisingly decisive tallies.
The outcome of that particular bout played a part in shuffling the order near the top of the junior welterweight division.
Those who take the decision at face value and take into consideration Alexander’s overall body of work still regard the rising young star as the second best 140 lb. fighter in the world today, right behind Bradley.
Others believe that rising British phenom Amir Khan has since surged past him, citing his far more convincing win over Kotelnik a year prior as well as his surviving a major gut check against Maidana in their Fight of the Year candidate last December.
The latter scenario has thrown a monkey wrench into initial ideas of next Saturday’s showdown at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan determining junior welterweight supremacy.
Whether you’re a historian who never stopped recognizing lineal championships, or part of a magazine who claims its own championship policy, it’s nearly impossible to argue against the fact that next weekend’s winner is the best junior welterweight in the world.
What has now become subject to debate, however, is what’s left to do for said victor.
Should Alexander win, there exists a legitimate argument that he would have to beat Khan in order to remove all doubt in the divisional sweepstakes. Both have been at the title level for roughly the same amount of time, with Khan’s best moments rating higher than Alexander can claim at the moment.
But what happens if the odds hold true and Bradley emerges victorious?
Two years at the top of the division should be enough time in service for the sculpted Californian to gain universal recognition as junior welterweight king. As it stands, can you honestly make the case that Khan is better or deserves to be rated higher than Bradley?
Now ask yourself that same question after you factor in a potential Bradley win over Alexander.
In a perfect world, Khan would be ready and willing to face the winner, which of course would go a long way towards removing any and all lingering doubt.
In reality, Khan is presently in pursuit of the cheapest opponent that HBO will accept for his reserved April 16 fight date.
Bradley and Alexander have spent the past six months in pursuit of each other. The end result is the first A-level fight of 2011.
Barring a draw or no-contest, that very same fight will produce a fighter who deserves recognition as the best junior welterweight in the world, regardless of championship status or lack thereof
