Boxing News Thread
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Povetkin: “I´m ready for Chagaev” – Helenius eyes KO hat-trick of former champs
Povetkin cannot wait to get down to business. “I am ready,” he said. “I have waited for this moment for a long time. I have a lot of respect for Chagaev. But we have developed a very good game plan.” Added coach Teddy Atlas: “Chagaev knows what it is like to be champion and he also knows what it´s like not to be champion anymore. He can do it all inside the ring but we are here with a good game plan and we are here to execute the game plan.”
Chagaev, who in April 2007 became the first man to defeat then-WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev, also voiced his confidence. “I have been dreaming to win back my old title for a long time,” he stated. “Alexander is a strong opponent. I have trained very hard for this big chance and I will make the most of it.”
Meanwhile, Helenius has set his sights on his 16th victory in as many fights. “The preparation has gone very well. Back home everybody asks me when I will be fighting the Klitschkos, but first things first, all my focus is on Liakhovich,” he stated. The White Wolf believes he will end the Nordic Nightmare´s unbeaten run. “It was me who picked Helenius, not the other way round. I will surprise a lot of people on Saturday night.”
Povetkin cannot wait to get down to business. “I am ready,” he said. “I have waited for this moment for a long time. I have a lot of respect for Chagaev. But we have developed a very good game plan.” Added coach Teddy Atlas: “Chagaev knows what it is like to be champion and he also knows what it´s like not to be champion anymore. He can do it all inside the ring but we are here with a good game plan and we are here to execute the game plan.”
Chagaev, who in April 2007 became the first man to defeat then-WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev, also voiced his confidence. “I have been dreaming to win back my old title for a long time,” he stated. “Alexander is a strong opponent. I have trained very hard for this big chance and I will make the most of it.”
Meanwhile, Helenius has set his sights on his 16th victory in as many fights. “The preparation has gone very well. Back home everybody asks me when I will be fighting the Klitschkos, but first things first, all my focus is on Liakhovich,” he stated. The White Wolf believes he will end the Nordic Nightmare´s unbeaten run. “It was me who picked Helenius, not the other way round. I will surprise a lot of people on Saturday night.”
THIS GUY IS A PICE OF SHIT!!!
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
There’s not much buzz over the upcoming showdown where WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz puts his title on the line against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 17.
That’s the word from Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who told BoxingScene.com/Daily Inquirer - “I’m not hearing much about Mayweather-Ortiz. Hopefully the buzz will pick up soon.”
Ortiz, who has a record of 29-2-2 with 22 knockouts, won the title with a twelve round unanimous decision in an action-packed battle with Andre Berto last April 16.
Mayweather, on the other hand, last fought on May 1, 2010 when he won a comfortable unanimous decision over former three-division champion Shane Mosley who was also subsequently badly beaten by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who won a lopsided twelve round decision.
Pacquiao, in an interview telecast on the top-rated KO Boxing show of multi-titled promoter Peter Maniatis in Australia said “there is a big possibility that by next year there will be a fight between me and Mayweather . I think the fight will push through.”
Asked how much he wanted the Mayweather fight as the culmination of his illustrious career, Pacquiao said “actually I am satisfied with my achievements in boxing. If he fights me I’m okay. I’m ready to fight him. If not, nothing to worry because I don’t really need him in my career.”
Discussing his trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12, Pacquiao conceded “it’s a hard fight and I have to train hard. But I [fought]Marquez twice so I know his style and I will study his style” in preparation for the fight at a catch-weight of 144 pounds.
Pacquiao said “I expect the best Marquez on that night and I know he will train hard for this fight so I will prepare for that.”
The “Fighter of the Decade” and congressman from the province of Sarangani told Maniatis “I’m not going to stay long in boxing and after a couple of fights I will stop and focus on serving the people.”
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
There’s not much buzz over the upcoming showdown where WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz puts his title on the line against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 17.
That’s the word from Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who told BoxingScene.com/Daily Inquirer - “I’m not hearing much about Mayweather-Ortiz. Hopefully the buzz will pick up soon.”
Ortiz, who has a record of 29-2-2 with 22 knockouts, won the title with a twelve round unanimous decision in an action-packed battle with Andre Berto last April 16.
Mayweather, on the other hand, last fought on May 1, 2010 when he won a comfortable unanimous decision over former three-division champion Shane Mosley who was also subsequently badly beaten by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who won a lopsided twelve round decision.
Pacquiao, in an interview telecast on the top-rated KO Boxing show of multi-titled promoter Peter Maniatis in Australia said “there is a big possibility that by next year there will be a fight between me and Mayweather . I think the fight will push through.”
Asked how much he wanted the Mayweather fight as the culmination of his illustrious career, Pacquiao said “actually I am satisfied with my achievements in boxing. If he fights me I’m okay. I’m ready to fight him. If not, nothing to worry because I don’t really need him in my career.”
Discussing his trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12, Pacquiao conceded “it’s a hard fight and I have to train hard. But I [fought]Marquez twice so I know his style and I will study his style” in preparation for the fight at a catch-weight of 144 pounds.
Pacquiao said “I expect the best Marquez on that night and I know he will train hard for this fight so I will prepare for that.”
The “Fighter of the Decade” and congressman from the province of Sarangani told Maniatis “I’m not going to stay long in boxing and after a couple of fights I will stop and focus on serving the people.”
Alexander Povetkin: “I don’t care when people talk about a regular championship
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 139th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with undefeated heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin (21-0, 15 KOs) who is taking on former champion Ruslan Chagaev (27-1-1, 17 KOs) today for the vacant regular WBA title. The fight will be televised by Epix. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Well let’s move to our second guest of this week’s show and he’s also making his debut with “On the Ropes”. He is the number two ranked contender in the WBA heavyweight division. We are joined for the very first time by Alexander Povetkin. How’s everything going today Alexander?
ALEXANDER POVETKIN: I’m feeling fine. I’m feeling pretty well and I’m motivated.
JENNA: Great! Well you have a very big fight coming up this weekend against Ruslan Chagaev for the vacant WBA regular heavyweight title. How do you feel about the matchup?
POVETKIN: I’m really, really happy that this fight is finally taking place and that I have the chance to fight for the world title. I am very motivated. I am really looking forward to Saturday, and yeah I’m excited about the fight!
JENNA: Your opponent Ruslan Chagaev is a former champion of this weight class. What do you think about his accomplishments that he’s had in the ring?
POVETKIN: I think he had a great career so far. As you said already he has been a world champion in the professional boxing already. At the end of the day if you were to look at his record, he only lost one fight to Wladimir Klitschko and he was fighting very strong in that fight. He is a very experienced guy and he is willing to win again. I think he has had a great career so far.
JENNA: Okay well Alexander, you work with Teddy Atlas. He is your trainer and Teddy has trained and led a heavyweight to a title before. I’m curious about your working relationship with Teddy, and how it’s been these years heading towards this title shot?
POVETKIN: My relationship with Teddy is going very well. We are working together now already for a long time, and we understand each other very good. For example, I always have a translator next to the ring who is helping me to understand Teddy, but I am getting better and better at understanding him without a translator. So yeah, he’s working with his full heart on this and me, too. So it’s going well.
JENNA: Now what has Teddy Atlas improved in you as a fighter, Alexander?
POVETKIN: I think the most important thing is that I’m much better at defense now. I can defend myself much better and I’m more relaxed during the fight. I’m not that stressed and that’s why I’m going much better through the fight. I’m not getting tired so quick, and also I think he helped me to throw my punches more exact. I can hit the right spots on my opponents now.
JENNA: Well Alexander, we’re also joined on the line by my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Alexander. It’s a great pleasure to have you on the show.
POVETKIN: A big hello to all the listeners on the radio. I am very happy that you are interested in boxing and that you are listening to my interview. I am happy that so many people outside are interested in that. So I say hello to everybody and I really appreciate that you are interested in the sport, and I wish more young people would be involved in sports and boxing.
CIANI: I would like to ask you first if you could tell our fans out there a little bit about the experience when you won your Gold Medal in the Olympics?
POVETKIN: I think that the Olympic Games were perfect for me. Everything went so good and smooth. I won all the fights. Unfortunately in the final bout my opponent had pulled out. So it was not the best feeling to miss this final bout. I would have loved to have won that bout, but unfortunately it didn’t take place. Anyway I won the Gold Medal and I feel good. I’m proud of it.
CIANI: Now how would winning a heavyweight world title in your upcoming fight against Chagaev compare to that experience of winning the Gold Medal?
POVETKIN: To be honest I cannot compare it now because I’m not a world champion yet. If I win on Saturday then you can ask me this question again and I can tell you exactly.
CIANI: Now when you look at the current heavyweight division, the two champions who are the best well known heavyweights in boxing right now are the two Klitschko brothers. I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on them as champions and the figureheads of the heavyweight division?
POVETKIN: I definitely think that the Klitschko brothers are the strongest boxers at this time. It doesn’t matter if somebody is thinking they fight boring or something like that. I think they have very good technique and tactics. They won against everybody the last few years. You never know. If somebody says if they would fight, for example, a Lennox Lewis or a Mike Tyson they wouldn’t win. I don’t think so. You never know, and at the moment for me they are the strongest opponents and the strongest boxers in the heavyweight division.
JENNA: Well Alexander, speaking of the Klitschkos you were twice scheduled to face Wladimir Klitschko. I’m curious why those two fights never took place, and also what do you think about the criticisms people give you for not facing him at this point?
POVETKIN: Well just to summarize what happened, I mean the first time the bout against Wladimir was shut off I had a very seriously injury with my foot. It was very serious and I needed at least off a year to get well again. I had a lot of pain and was not able to do anything, so that’s why the first time the bout didn’t take place. Then I also had a hand injury in between, but for the second fight it was just between my promoters and the Klitschko promoters. They couldn’t find an agreement regarding the contract matter. So it had nothing to do with me so far. Actually I’m pretty sure I don’t know all the details why it didn’t take place and what the real reasons were for not finding an agreement with the contract matters.
JENNA: If you win the WBA regular belt, Wladimir Klitschko will be obligated to fight you at some point. How much would you still want to have that fight?
POVETKIN: I really would like to have the fight, of course! This is my aim and for this time I’m pretty sure that my manager and promoter and the promoter of Klitschko will find an agreement.
JENNA: Alright Alexander, let’s talk about the one criticism that this upcoming fight has. It’s going to be for the regular WBA belt. Wladimir Klitschko recently beat David Haye to win the WBA belt and now the WBA has created this vacant belt. Do you feel you will truly be a champion winning this title in that fashion?
POVETKIN: To be honest I don’t care when people talk about a regular championship or a super championship—a world champion is a world champion! To become world champion I have to fight the best fighters in the world, so I mean if I win this title now I will fight the best people and I will improve myself and show everybody that I’m the best. So for me it doesn’t matter if it’s for the super championship or just the regular championship or whatever. For me it’s a world championship, and this is what matters at the end.
CIANI: Changing things up a little bit Alexander, I wanted to get your views on the biggest star in boxing today Manny Pacquiao. What are your thoughts on him as a fighter on what he has accomplished in the sport?
POVETKIN: I never met Manny Pacquiao personally, but I saw a lot of his fights and I think he is a great boxer. I think Pacquiao is making exciting beautiful fights that you want to watch and you want to see. I mean he is a big star in boxing and he is just great.
CIANI: I’d also like to know when you were coming up in the sport, who were some of the other boxers that you most admired and who are some of the boxers today that you most enjoy watching?
POVETKIN: When I was young I had a lot of boxers I liked, for example Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and George Foreman. Of course these boxers are great and I loved watching them fight. Now days there are a lot of great boxers also, but there is no boxer I can tell you, yeah that’s my idol. That’s what I’m looking for. I mean I like Manny Pacquiao for example.
JENNA: Alright Alexander, we have just a couple of more questions before we let you off the line. To get back to your fight with Ruslan Chagaev, what one thing does he do in the ring that you think can pose you your biggest threat?
POVETKIN: We watched a lot of Ruslan’s fights and we’ve gotten ourselves prepared to fight him. I think I’m prepared for everything he will do in the ring. Of course I don’t know how ready he is and how well prepared he is, but I will not relax. I will try to work in everything t hat we have trained for, and of course he might bring some surprised but I’m sure I can deal with the surprises. The most important thing is that you do not relax because one punch could be a big surprise which might cost you, so I will take care and I’m prepared for everything.
JENNA: Alright what is your official prediction for your upcoming fight this Saturday?
POVETKIN: I’m ready to go through all twelve rounds, and as for the end we will see what happens Saturday in the ring.
JENNA: Well my final question revolves around your fans, Alexander. Is there anything you want to say to them?
POVETKIN: I want to wish a lot of luck and health and all the best to all the listeners and all my fans. I wish you a lot of strength and motivation to go forward and to do the things you want to do. I hope you will see my fight on TV on Saturday and I hope you will enjoy it, and I will do my best to show you a beautiful fight.
JENNA: Alright well Alexander, it’s been a pleasure having you on the show and we wish you all the best of luck on Saturday night.
POVETKIN: Many, many thanks, and all the best of luck to you!
CIANI: Thank you! Good luck.
POVETKIN: You too, thank you very much and all the best for you
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 139th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with undefeated heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin (21-0, 15 KOs) who is taking on former champion Ruslan Chagaev (27-1-1, 17 KOs) today for the vacant regular WBA title. The fight will be televised by Epix. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Well let’s move to our second guest of this week’s show and he’s also making his debut with “On the Ropes”. He is the number two ranked contender in the WBA heavyweight division. We are joined for the very first time by Alexander Povetkin. How’s everything going today Alexander?
ALEXANDER POVETKIN: I’m feeling fine. I’m feeling pretty well and I’m motivated.
JENNA: Great! Well you have a very big fight coming up this weekend against Ruslan Chagaev for the vacant WBA regular heavyweight title. How do you feel about the matchup?
POVETKIN: I’m really, really happy that this fight is finally taking place and that I have the chance to fight for the world title. I am very motivated. I am really looking forward to Saturday, and yeah I’m excited about the fight!
JENNA: Your opponent Ruslan Chagaev is a former champion of this weight class. What do you think about his accomplishments that he’s had in the ring?
POVETKIN: I think he had a great career so far. As you said already he has been a world champion in the professional boxing already. At the end of the day if you were to look at his record, he only lost one fight to Wladimir Klitschko and he was fighting very strong in that fight. He is a very experienced guy and he is willing to win again. I think he has had a great career so far.
JENNA: Okay well Alexander, you work with Teddy Atlas. He is your trainer and Teddy has trained and led a heavyweight to a title before. I’m curious about your working relationship with Teddy, and how it’s been these years heading towards this title shot?
POVETKIN: My relationship with Teddy is going very well. We are working together now already for a long time, and we understand each other very good. For example, I always have a translator next to the ring who is helping me to understand Teddy, but I am getting better and better at understanding him without a translator. So yeah, he’s working with his full heart on this and me, too. So it’s going well.
JENNA: Now what has Teddy Atlas improved in you as a fighter, Alexander?
POVETKIN: I think the most important thing is that I’m much better at defense now. I can defend myself much better and I’m more relaxed during the fight. I’m not that stressed and that’s why I’m going much better through the fight. I’m not getting tired so quick, and also I think he helped me to throw my punches more exact. I can hit the right spots on my opponents now.
JENNA: Well Alexander, we’re also joined on the line by my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Alexander. It’s a great pleasure to have you on the show.
POVETKIN: A big hello to all the listeners on the radio. I am very happy that you are interested in boxing and that you are listening to my interview. I am happy that so many people outside are interested in that. So I say hello to everybody and I really appreciate that you are interested in the sport, and I wish more young people would be involved in sports and boxing.
CIANI: I would like to ask you first if you could tell our fans out there a little bit about the experience when you won your Gold Medal in the Olympics?
POVETKIN: I think that the Olympic Games were perfect for me. Everything went so good and smooth. I won all the fights. Unfortunately in the final bout my opponent had pulled out. So it was not the best feeling to miss this final bout. I would have loved to have won that bout, but unfortunately it didn’t take place. Anyway I won the Gold Medal and I feel good. I’m proud of it.
CIANI: Now how would winning a heavyweight world title in your upcoming fight against Chagaev compare to that experience of winning the Gold Medal?
POVETKIN: To be honest I cannot compare it now because I’m not a world champion yet. If I win on Saturday then you can ask me this question again and I can tell you exactly.
CIANI: Now when you look at the current heavyweight division, the two champions who are the best well known heavyweights in boxing right now are the two Klitschko brothers. I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on them as champions and the figureheads of the heavyweight division?
POVETKIN: I definitely think that the Klitschko brothers are the strongest boxers at this time. It doesn’t matter if somebody is thinking they fight boring or something like that. I think they have very good technique and tactics. They won against everybody the last few years. You never know. If somebody says if they would fight, for example, a Lennox Lewis or a Mike Tyson they wouldn’t win. I don’t think so. You never know, and at the moment for me they are the strongest opponents and the strongest boxers in the heavyweight division.
JENNA: Well Alexander, speaking of the Klitschkos you were twice scheduled to face Wladimir Klitschko. I’m curious why those two fights never took place, and also what do you think about the criticisms people give you for not facing him at this point?
POVETKIN: Well just to summarize what happened, I mean the first time the bout against Wladimir was shut off I had a very seriously injury with my foot. It was very serious and I needed at least off a year to get well again. I had a lot of pain and was not able to do anything, so that’s why the first time the bout didn’t take place. Then I also had a hand injury in between, but for the second fight it was just between my promoters and the Klitschko promoters. They couldn’t find an agreement regarding the contract matter. So it had nothing to do with me so far. Actually I’m pretty sure I don’t know all the details why it didn’t take place and what the real reasons were for not finding an agreement with the contract matters.
JENNA: If you win the WBA regular belt, Wladimir Klitschko will be obligated to fight you at some point. How much would you still want to have that fight?
POVETKIN: I really would like to have the fight, of course! This is my aim and for this time I’m pretty sure that my manager and promoter and the promoter of Klitschko will find an agreement.
JENNA: Alright Alexander, let’s talk about the one criticism that this upcoming fight has. It’s going to be for the regular WBA belt. Wladimir Klitschko recently beat David Haye to win the WBA belt and now the WBA has created this vacant belt. Do you feel you will truly be a champion winning this title in that fashion?
POVETKIN: To be honest I don’t care when people talk about a regular championship or a super championship—a world champion is a world champion! To become world champion I have to fight the best fighters in the world, so I mean if I win this title now I will fight the best people and I will improve myself and show everybody that I’m the best. So for me it doesn’t matter if it’s for the super championship or just the regular championship or whatever. For me it’s a world championship, and this is what matters at the end.
CIANI: Changing things up a little bit Alexander, I wanted to get your views on the biggest star in boxing today Manny Pacquiao. What are your thoughts on him as a fighter on what he has accomplished in the sport?
POVETKIN: I never met Manny Pacquiao personally, but I saw a lot of his fights and I think he is a great boxer. I think Pacquiao is making exciting beautiful fights that you want to watch and you want to see. I mean he is a big star in boxing and he is just great.
CIANI: I’d also like to know when you were coming up in the sport, who were some of the other boxers that you most admired and who are some of the boxers today that you most enjoy watching?
POVETKIN: When I was young I had a lot of boxers I liked, for example Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and George Foreman. Of course these boxers are great and I loved watching them fight. Now days there are a lot of great boxers also, but there is no boxer I can tell you, yeah that’s my idol. That’s what I’m looking for. I mean I like Manny Pacquiao for example.
JENNA: Alright Alexander, we have just a couple of more questions before we let you off the line. To get back to your fight with Ruslan Chagaev, what one thing does he do in the ring that you think can pose you your biggest threat?
POVETKIN: We watched a lot of Ruslan’s fights and we’ve gotten ourselves prepared to fight him. I think I’m prepared for everything he will do in the ring. Of course I don’t know how ready he is and how well prepared he is, but I will not relax. I will try to work in everything t hat we have trained for, and of course he might bring some surprised but I’m sure I can deal with the surprises. The most important thing is that you do not relax because one punch could be a big surprise which might cost you, so I will take care and I’m prepared for everything.
JENNA: Alright what is your official prediction for your upcoming fight this Saturday?
POVETKIN: I’m ready to go through all twelve rounds, and as for the end we will see what happens Saturday in the ring.
JENNA: Well my final question revolves around your fans, Alexander. Is there anything you want to say to them?
POVETKIN: I want to wish a lot of luck and health and all the best to all the listeners and all my fans. I wish you a lot of strength and motivation to go forward and to do the things you want to do. I hope you will see my fight on TV on Saturday and I hope you will enjoy it, and I will do my best to show you a beautiful fight.
JENNA: Alright well Alexander, it’s been a pleasure having you on the show and we wish you all the best of luck on Saturday night.
POVETKIN: Many, many thanks, and all the best of luck to you!
CIANI: Thank you! Good luck.
POVETKIN: You too, thank you very much and all the best for you
Froch: I’ll butt Ward back if he butts me
By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KO’s) is promising to turn his October 29th fight against Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO’s) into total chaos if he gets accidentally butted by Ward. Froch says he’ll butt Ward back and make a mess of the fight. That’s really smart, isn’t it? Froch gets head butted accidentally by Ward, and he then loses his senses completely starts head butting who knows what else to poor Ward.
I can just see it. Ward barely taps Froch with his head, and Froch goes bananas, head butting, body slamming, rabbit punching, holding and hitting, the whole works. You know what will happen, don’t you? Froch will disqualified, and Ward will be crowned the rightful king of the Super Six. I think Froch needs to realize this fight isn’t taking place in his home country of England. Fouls will be called here if he starts going primitive on Ward.
This is what Froch said to British writer Steve Bunce at espn.co.uk: “I don’t want you to butt me like you butted Mikkel Kessler. I’m not joking. I don’t want you to butt me, I don’t want the fight to be ruined by cuts. If he butts me, I will butt him back, don’t worry. And then it will turn into madness.”
This whole episode took place at the Matchroom Sports’ head office, and was witnessed by fellow Matchroom fighters Kell Brook and Darren Barker. I hope none of them were influenced by Froch’s bad talk. They’re both younger than him and at an impressionable age. The last thing we need is one or both of them aping what Froch is saying.
Froch acts like he’s the innocent one here, but when you look at his fight against Andre Dirrell in 2009 where Froch went foul happy, body slamming Dirrell, tagging him in the back of the head, and holding and hitting like no tomorrow. All during this foul display, the referee just stood there without even trying to penalize Froch. No fouls, no disqualification, nothing. I just wish we had someone like Jay Nady in there to pull the trigger on Froch when he first lands one of his rabbit specials. The body slam would have been a fight ender. Nady would have had Froch out of there so fast his head would be spinning.
By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KO’s) is promising to turn his October 29th fight against Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO’s) into total chaos if he gets accidentally butted by Ward. Froch says he’ll butt Ward back and make a mess of the fight. That’s really smart, isn’t it? Froch gets head butted accidentally by Ward, and he then loses his senses completely starts head butting who knows what else to poor Ward.
I can just see it. Ward barely taps Froch with his head, and Froch goes bananas, head butting, body slamming, rabbit punching, holding and hitting, the whole works. You know what will happen, don’t you? Froch will disqualified, and Ward will be crowned the rightful king of the Super Six. I think Froch needs to realize this fight isn’t taking place in his home country of England. Fouls will be called here if he starts going primitive on Ward.
This is what Froch said to British writer Steve Bunce at espn.co.uk: “I don’t want you to butt me like you butted Mikkel Kessler. I’m not joking. I don’t want you to butt me, I don’t want the fight to be ruined by cuts. If he butts me, I will butt him back, don’t worry. And then it will turn into madness.”
This whole episode took place at the Matchroom Sports’ head office, and was witnessed by fellow Matchroom fighters Kell Brook and Darren Barker. I hope none of them were influenced by Froch’s bad talk. They’re both younger than him and at an impressionable age. The last thing we need is one or both of them aping what Froch is saying.
Froch acts like he’s the innocent one here, but when you look at his fight against Andre Dirrell in 2009 where Froch went foul happy, body slamming Dirrell, tagging him in the back of the head, and holding and hitting like no tomorrow. All during this foul display, the referee just stood there without even trying to penalize Froch. No fouls, no disqualification, nothing. I just wish we had someone like Jay Nady in there to pull the trigger on Froch when he first lands one of his rabbit specials. The body slam would have been a fight ender. Nady would have had Froch out of there so fast his head would be spinning.
Joshua Clottey waiting for legal problems to settle before returning to the ring
By Bradley Pearson: It’s been 17 long months since former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KO’s) was last in the ring, and with that, questions have arisen as to why the Ghanaian boxer has been ‘MIA’ for so long- in what would seem his prime years.
According to recent comments made on his personal Facebook account and official Twitter page (@_GMASTERCLOTTEY), the Top Rank fighter reveals he has yet to settle a legal dispute with a “former manager” before he can make his long awaited ring return.
Clottey, 33, wrote: “I know my fans are worry about my return to the ring and I even want to fight today but I will be happy fighting without my ex manager for personal reasons thanks fans”. He went on to later add- “Just be patient for me cos our dispute is at the court so soon judgement will come. I will bounce back big for my fans”.
It’s been a frustrating year for Clottey, who was forced to pull out of his scheduled clash with Calvin Green back in March due to a freak accident suffered during a routine run. Negotiations also broke down later in the year for a potential match-up with former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron back in July. Instead, the Puerto Rican puncher went on to lose to Carlos Molina on the night the Clottey bout would’ve taken place. The ‘Grand Master’ has often expressed his desire for rematches with both Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) and Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) on numerous occasions in the past and with the two facing off this December, Clottey may perhaps be looking to secure a fight with the winner, sometime in 2012
By Bradley Pearson: It’s been 17 long months since former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KO’s) was last in the ring, and with that, questions have arisen as to why the Ghanaian boxer has been ‘MIA’ for so long- in what would seem his prime years.
According to recent comments made on his personal Facebook account and official Twitter page (@_GMASTERCLOTTEY), the Top Rank fighter reveals he has yet to settle a legal dispute with a “former manager” before he can make his long awaited ring return.
Clottey, 33, wrote: “I know my fans are worry about my return to the ring and I even want to fight today but I will be happy fighting without my ex manager for personal reasons thanks fans”. He went on to later add- “Just be patient for me cos our dispute is at the court so soon judgement will come. I will bounce back big for my fans”.
It’s been a frustrating year for Clottey, who was forced to pull out of his scheduled clash with Calvin Green back in March due to a freak accident suffered during a routine run. Negotiations also broke down later in the year for a potential match-up with former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron back in July. Instead, the Puerto Rican puncher went on to lose to Carlos Molina on the night the Clottey bout would’ve taken place. The ‘Grand Master’ has often expressed his desire for rematches with both Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) and Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) on numerous occasions in the past and with the two facing off this December, Clottey may perhaps be looking to secure a fight with the winner, sometime in 2012
Steward concerned with Dawson losing focus during Hopkins bout
By Jason Kim: Trainer Emanuel Steward voiced some concerns he has with his fighter Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) as he heads into his October 15th fight against WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. Steward is worried about the 29-year-old Dawson losing mental focus during the fight and letting Hopkins back into the fight. Steward has noticed this problem with Dawson in his other fights, and he’s worried that he fall into the same trap against Hopkins.
In an interview at East Side Boxing’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio program, Steward said “He [Dawson] does have a tendency to kind of drift sometimes and go in and out, and that’s my biggest concern…My biggest challenge is to have this man totally focused throughout the fight all the way, especially when you’re going to have a crowd that every time Bernard just makes a feint or something the crowd is going to go crazy.”
Steward is right, of course. Dawson does let up on guys after dominating them for a certain amount of rounds. I’ve seen this in Dawson’s fights against Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver and recently against Adrian Diaconu. In each of those fights, Dawson would suddenly stop punching and just cover up and allow his opponents to control different rounds, making the fights a lot closer than they should have been.
In Dawson’s fight against Jean Pascal, he just never got un-tracked at all despite being urged on by his trainer. By the time Dawson did turn up the heat in the 11th, he needed a knockout to win and he was unable to make that happen after suffering a cut from a head clash. Again, it was Dawson failing to stay focused and follow through with the instructions that were being given to him in his corner.
Steward has a tough job because getting Dawson to do exactly what he’s told for three minutes of every round is going to be a battle all to itself. If he fights hard for three minutes of every round, he’ll no doubt beat Hopkins. But that’s the whole problem. Dawson takes his foot off the accelerator and tends to coast when he’s doing well.
Dawson can’t do this with Hopkins because the crowd will be in his favor and even the rounds where Dawson is appearing to dominate the action may end up going in Hopkins’ favor because of the crowd favoring him. Judges sometimes seem to be influenced by crowd noise when scoring rounds, so we could have a fight that is still close even when Dawson is totally dominating the action. He can’t afford to let off because you just don’t know how the judges are going to be scoring the rounds. Hopkins is the more popular fighter and that’s something that could make it harder for Dawson to get the decision.
By Jason Kim: Trainer Emanuel Steward voiced some concerns he has with his fighter Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) as he heads into his October 15th fight against WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. Steward is worried about the 29-year-old Dawson losing mental focus during the fight and letting Hopkins back into the fight. Steward has noticed this problem with Dawson in his other fights, and he’s worried that he fall into the same trap against Hopkins.
In an interview at East Side Boxing’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio program, Steward said “He [Dawson] does have a tendency to kind of drift sometimes and go in and out, and that’s my biggest concern…My biggest challenge is to have this man totally focused throughout the fight all the way, especially when you’re going to have a crowd that every time Bernard just makes a feint or something the crowd is going to go crazy.”
Steward is right, of course. Dawson does let up on guys after dominating them for a certain amount of rounds. I’ve seen this in Dawson’s fights against Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver and recently against Adrian Diaconu. In each of those fights, Dawson would suddenly stop punching and just cover up and allow his opponents to control different rounds, making the fights a lot closer than they should have been.
In Dawson’s fight against Jean Pascal, he just never got un-tracked at all despite being urged on by his trainer. By the time Dawson did turn up the heat in the 11th, he needed a knockout to win and he was unable to make that happen after suffering a cut from a head clash. Again, it was Dawson failing to stay focused and follow through with the instructions that were being given to him in his corner.
Steward has a tough job because getting Dawson to do exactly what he’s told for three minutes of every round is going to be a battle all to itself. If he fights hard for three minutes of every round, he’ll no doubt beat Hopkins. But that’s the whole problem. Dawson takes his foot off the accelerator and tends to coast when he’s doing well.
Dawson can’t do this with Hopkins because the crowd will be in his favor and even the rounds where Dawson is appearing to dominate the action may end up going in Hopkins’ favor because of the crowd favoring him. Judges sometimes seem to be influenced by crowd noise when scoring rounds, so we could have a fight that is still close even when Dawson is totally dominating the action. He can’t afford to let off because you just don’t know how the judges are going to be scoring the rounds. Hopkins is the more popular fighter and that’s something that could make it harder for Dawson to get the decision.
This is my dream fight right here (Gamboa vs Donaire). Crazy thing is The Bobfather keeps talking about it too, this is the third article where he says he wants to make the fight by next year.
Juanma-Gamboa Still Has Hope, Then Donaire-Gamboa
By Keith Idec
Promoter Bob Arum hasn’t given up hope of eventually matching powerful featherweights Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez against each other.
Arum aimed at building Gamboa-Lopez into a huge featherweight unification fight before Orlando Salido upset Lopez by eighth-round technical knockout April 16 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Lopez’s lone loss definitely delayed a fight against Gamboa, but Arum said that if Lopez overcomes Salido in their rematch and the Cuban sensation continues to win that his company, Top Rank Inc., would make a Gamboa-Lopez fight sometime in 2012.
“The big fights for Gamboa down the road are the winner of Juan Manuel Lopez and Salido,” said Arum, who was on the call to promote Gamboa’s fight against Daniel Ponce De Leon (41-3, 34 KOs) on Sept. 10 in Atlantic City. “I hope to make that fight [the Salido-Lopez rematch] early next year. And then, probably the biggest fight in the featherweight division [for Gamboa] will be with the up-and-coming bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire, who will be moving up to featherweight next year. That should be a big, big match.”
That would discount, of course, the possibility of Lopez beating both Salido (36-11-2, 24 KOs, 1 NC) and Gamboa (20-0, 16 KOs). But Arum’s point was that he hasn’t forgotten about Gamboa-Lopez, which was one of the most highly anticipated fights in boxing before Salido stopped Lopez four months ago.
Puerto Rico’s Lopez (30-1, 27 KOs) will return to the ring Oct. 1 in Bayamon, against American Mike Oliver (25-2, 8 KOs, 1 NC).
Mexico’s Salido also has expressed interest in taking another bout before boxing Lopez again early in 2012. He has already defended the WBO featherweight title he won from Lopez, thanks to an 11th-round TKO of Japan’s Kenichi Yamaguchi (17-2-2, 4 KOs, 1 NC) on July 23 in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
Juanma-Gamboa Still Has Hope, Then Donaire-Gamboa
By Keith Idec
Promoter Bob Arum hasn’t given up hope of eventually matching powerful featherweights Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez against each other.
Arum aimed at building Gamboa-Lopez into a huge featherweight unification fight before Orlando Salido upset Lopez by eighth-round technical knockout April 16 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Lopez’s lone loss definitely delayed a fight against Gamboa, but Arum said that if Lopez overcomes Salido in their rematch and the Cuban sensation continues to win that his company, Top Rank Inc., would make a Gamboa-Lopez fight sometime in 2012.
“The big fights for Gamboa down the road are the winner of Juan Manuel Lopez and Salido,” said Arum, who was on the call to promote Gamboa’s fight against Daniel Ponce De Leon (41-3, 34 KOs) on Sept. 10 in Atlantic City. “I hope to make that fight [the Salido-Lopez rematch] early next year. And then, probably the biggest fight in the featherweight division [for Gamboa] will be with the up-and-coming bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire, who will be moving up to featherweight next year. That should be a big, big match.”
That would discount, of course, the possibility of Lopez beating both Salido (36-11-2, 24 KOs, 1 NC) and Gamboa (20-0, 16 KOs). But Arum’s point was that he hasn’t forgotten about Gamboa-Lopez, which was one of the most highly anticipated fights in boxing before Salido stopped Lopez four months ago.
Puerto Rico’s Lopez (30-1, 27 KOs) will return to the ring Oct. 1 in Bayamon, against American Mike Oliver (25-2, 8 KOs, 1 NC).
Mexico’s Salido also has expressed interest in taking another bout before boxing Lopez again early in 2012. He has already defended the WBO featherweight title he won from Lopez, thanks to an 11th-round TKO of Japan’s Kenichi Yamaguchi (17-2-2, 4 KOs, 1 NC) on July 23 in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
donaire & gamboa both top rank so it's possible. Also, Gamboa has no big money fights out there. There is Lopez, which isn't nearly as big as it once was, but that's about it. He can go up to 130 pounds and who's the biggest name there? Mzonke Fana? Takashi Uchiyama? Neither no one knows. Adrien Broner? no money in any of those fights. probably a little against broner on HBO that's it, but dealing with Al Haymon isn't something Arum likes to do often because they demand so much money.
Then we go to donaire. He's moving to 122 pounds right? Who are the big names there? There are NONE. Not a single big name. You got Toshiaki Nishioka, Rico Ramos, Rigondeaux, Steve Molitor and Jorge Arce.
So if your Bob Arum, who wants to make the most money possible, I can see this fight happening. Have Donaire move up to 122, fight and easily beat a guy like Arce, have Gamboa, if possible, make some money against Lopez and if he wins, donaire vs gamboa is a fight HBO would put up REAL GOOD money for.
Lack of big opponents for both guys means they could certainly fight within a year or so.
Then we go to donaire. He's moving to 122 pounds right? Who are the big names there? There are NONE. Not a single big name. You got Toshiaki Nishioka, Rico Ramos, Rigondeaux, Steve Molitor and Jorge Arce.
So if your Bob Arum, who wants to make the most money possible, I can see this fight happening. Have Donaire move up to 122, fight and easily beat a guy like Arce, have Gamboa, if possible, make some money against Lopez and if he wins, donaire vs gamboa is a fight HBO would put up REAL GOOD money for.
Lack of big opponents for both guys means they could certainly fight within a year or so.
it certainly did because bob mistakenly thought Lopez was the next Tito, so he didn't want to risk it. Puerto Rican boxing stars are big money.
Unfortunately though, for reasons I just don't understand, Gamboa just isn't that widely known and doesn't have a big fan base. He's everything I would imagine boxing fans would want in a fighter so I never understood that. Fast as fuck, explosive, one punch KO power, insanely fast combination punching, physically built like a mini mike tyson, fights with reckless abandonment at times....what's there not to like?
Unfortunately though, for reasons I just don't understand, Gamboa just isn't that widely known and doesn't have a big fan base. He's everything I would imagine boxing fans would want in a fighter so I never understood that. Fast as fuck, explosive, one punch KO power, insanely fast combination punching, physically built like a mini mike tyson, fights with reckless abandonment at times....what's there not to like?
Gamboa has some real boxing skills. Most boxing fans don't care about the art of fighting anymore they just want to see the knockouts and fighters that have no defense and all offense. I have no idea why Gamboa don't have a big fanbase he has all the elite set of boxing skills and KO power. But I guess because he doesn't stand in front of fighters like a punching bag he gets no love by the fans.