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A Mayweather loss is the best that could ever happen to boxing
By Nick Cole: Whether you’re a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fan or hater, one thing that most fight fans can agree upon: The sport of boxing could use a few more exciting fights.
The only way for that to happen, however, is to get boxing’s biggest draws in the ring more often.
Those draws, for the moment at least, are Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
But since the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps have not been able to come to terms, for the boxing fan, the best thing that could ever happen for the sport of boxing, is a Mayweather (41-0) loss to Vicious Victor Ortiz (29-2-2) in their September 12 fight in Las Vegas.
Here’s what I mean: A Mayweather loss would set three exciting fights into motion, forcing Mayweather to fight more often, which is what most boxing fans want.
In fact, the sport of boxing really needs the momentum with the UFC and FOX recently reaching a seven-year deal, which will put the product and the brand in millions more homes across the country and therefore dramatically increase its popularity.
The one thing that UFC President Dana White gets is that people just want to see good fights, which explains the UFC’s recent growth. Boxing has lost some of its luster since it Mike Tyson days and desperately needs a few more good fights each year.
A Mayweather loss would bring at least some excitement back to boxing for a while. If Ortiz somehow finds a way to beat Mayweather, boxing fans will not only have a young, determined new champion on its hands, but it would also set up a rematch between Mayweather and Ortiz.
That in itself is exciting. You’ll have a new champ and Mayweather is forced to fight more than once a year for a change.
There are several reasons why a Mayweather loss is intriguing.
For one, Mayweather has never lost a fight, so a rematch with Ortiz would in itself bring excitement. You’ll have the curiosity factor for fans to see how Mayweather bounces back from his first loss.
Plus, Mayweather, to some, appears to be boastful, prideful, and a money worshiper, but nothing humbles a boxer more than a loss. For Mayweather to be humbled, it would only add to the anticipation of a rematch, especially if the first fight between Mayweather and Ortiz is a close one.
Speaking of money, whether Mayweather is broke or is financially fine will be irrelevant if he loses to Ortiz.
If Mayweather loses, he can no longer sit back and fight when he wants to. His pride alone would force him back into the ring for a rematch, regardless of if there is a rematch clause in the contract. More Mayweather means more good fights for fans to see.
In addition, with a September 17 loss, Mayweather would not only have to redeem himself from the loss, but in recent weeks, Amir Khan has also appeared as a potential opposition for Mayweather. Assuming the Mayweather and Pacquioa fight can’t be made immediately after his redemption fight, there’s absolutely no other person Mayweahter could fight besides Khan, another young, hungry lion.
After the Khan fight, there’s still the much anticipated Pacquioa fight to be made.
So instead of a Mayweahter win on September 17 and fans waiting around for another year only hoping for the mega fight with Pacioua, a loss would force Mayweather in the ring three to four times within the next year instead of the usual one fight a year, which shortchanges true fight fans.
With that said, the odds of Mayweather actually losing on September 17, in my book, are slim to none.
Here’s why: Mayweather is a smart fighter, promoter, and businessman, and a smart business man would never risk missing out on the big reward that will come with the mega fight with Pacquioa.
As I analyze the fight between Mayweather and Ortiz, it was a smart business move on Floyd’s part to chose Ortiz because on paper, Ortiz has the prototype to beat Floyd.
Ortiz, for one, is a southpaw, which Floyd Mayweather Sr. has been on record for years as saying he doesn’t like Floyd fighting southpaws. Being the person who taught Floyd all of the basics and fundamentals that he still displays today, Mayweahter Sr. knows all of his flaws and what type of fighter his son struggles with. Clearly, it’s a southpaw.
If you’re Mayweather Jr., the business side would say, why not use that to promote the fight? Well, that’s exactly what Mayweather has done.
In addition, most Mayweather haters complain that he doesn’t fight boxers in their prime.
Ortiz, however, is a young, hungry lion. Making this fight adds to the marketing and business sense of Mayweather because boxing fans want to see how he handles a good fighter in his prime.
The problem is that I see exactly what Mayweather sees: Though Ortiz looks good on paper. He’s a southpaw, young and relentless in throwing punches, but Ortiz gases out after six rounds in single last one of his fights. That’s exactly what Mayweather is banking on. Boxing is a skill of habit and the chances of suddenly breaking a career-long habit in a few weeks of training camp, is highly unlikely. Ortiz’s habit is gasing out after six rounds.
The way I see it playing out is Ortiz will put up a great fight and will probably be winning on the scorecards through the first four to five rounds, but after he gases out in the sixth round, which Ortiz has shown to do throughout the history of his fights, Mayweather will come out of his defense-first mode and overwhelm Ortiz, making it basically a Zab Judah rerun all over again.
Now some may say that Ortiz kept fighting in the Berto fight after six rounds. But if you watch the tape, Ortix’s legs were clearly going away. The difference is that Berto doesn’t cover up well, so Ortiz was still able to swing and catch Berto will blows to the head. Berto was gased at this point in time as well.
Mayweather, however, can go 12 rounds without getting tired and he covers up very well, which may be the difference in the fight.
I am a huge Mayweather fan, but like most real boxing fans, it wouldn’t hurt to see him action more often.
A Mayweather loss is the only way that will happen though, so Ortiz, if you are reading this, do boxing a huge favor, and give Mayweather his first loss by using your southpaw stance to your advantage, and let your hands go for all 12 rounds.
Make no mistake about it, Ortiz will not win a decision, regardless of what the scorecards say.
Ortiz has to knock Mayweather out. That’s the best thing that could ever happen to boxing.
By Nick Cole: Whether you’re a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fan or hater, one thing that most fight fans can agree upon: The sport of boxing could use a few more exciting fights.
The only way for that to happen, however, is to get boxing’s biggest draws in the ring more often.
Those draws, for the moment at least, are Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
But since the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps have not been able to come to terms, for the boxing fan, the best thing that could ever happen for the sport of boxing, is a Mayweather (41-0) loss to Vicious Victor Ortiz (29-2-2) in their September 12 fight in Las Vegas.
Here’s what I mean: A Mayweather loss would set three exciting fights into motion, forcing Mayweather to fight more often, which is what most boxing fans want.
In fact, the sport of boxing really needs the momentum with the UFC and FOX recently reaching a seven-year deal, which will put the product and the brand in millions more homes across the country and therefore dramatically increase its popularity.
The one thing that UFC President Dana White gets is that people just want to see good fights, which explains the UFC’s recent growth. Boxing has lost some of its luster since it Mike Tyson days and desperately needs a few more good fights each year.
A Mayweather loss would bring at least some excitement back to boxing for a while. If Ortiz somehow finds a way to beat Mayweather, boxing fans will not only have a young, determined new champion on its hands, but it would also set up a rematch between Mayweather and Ortiz.
That in itself is exciting. You’ll have a new champ and Mayweather is forced to fight more than once a year for a change.
There are several reasons why a Mayweather loss is intriguing.
For one, Mayweather has never lost a fight, so a rematch with Ortiz would in itself bring excitement. You’ll have the curiosity factor for fans to see how Mayweather bounces back from his first loss.
Plus, Mayweather, to some, appears to be boastful, prideful, and a money worshiper, but nothing humbles a boxer more than a loss. For Mayweather to be humbled, it would only add to the anticipation of a rematch, especially if the first fight between Mayweather and Ortiz is a close one.
Speaking of money, whether Mayweather is broke or is financially fine will be irrelevant if he loses to Ortiz.
If Mayweather loses, he can no longer sit back and fight when he wants to. His pride alone would force him back into the ring for a rematch, regardless of if there is a rematch clause in the contract. More Mayweather means more good fights for fans to see.
In addition, with a September 17 loss, Mayweather would not only have to redeem himself from the loss, but in recent weeks, Amir Khan has also appeared as a potential opposition for Mayweather. Assuming the Mayweather and Pacquioa fight can’t be made immediately after his redemption fight, there’s absolutely no other person Mayweahter could fight besides Khan, another young, hungry lion.
After the Khan fight, there’s still the much anticipated Pacquioa fight to be made.
So instead of a Mayweahter win on September 17 and fans waiting around for another year only hoping for the mega fight with Pacioua, a loss would force Mayweather in the ring three to four times within the next year instead of the usual one fight a year, which shortchanges true fight fans.
With that said, the odds of Mayweather actually losing on September 17, in my book, are slim to none.
Here’s why: Mayweather is a smart fighter, promoter, and businessman, and a smart business man would never risk missing out on the big reward that will come with the mega fight with Pacquioa.
As I analyze the fight between Mayweather and Ortiz, it was a smart business move on Floyd’s part to chose Ortiz because on paper, Ortiz has the prototype to beat Floyd.
Ortiz, for one, is a southpaw, which Floyd Mayweather Sr. has been on record for years as saying he doesn’t like Floyd fighting southpaws. Being the person who taught Floyd all of the basics and fundamentals that he still displays today, Mayweahter Sr. knows all of his flaws and what type of fighter his son struggles with. Clearly, it’s a southpaw.
If you’re Mayweather Jr., the business side would say, why not use that to promote the fight? Well, that’s exactly what Mayweather has done.
In addition, most Mayweather haters complain that he doesn’t fight boxers in their prime.
Ortiz, however, is a young, hungry lion. Making this fight adds to the marketing and business sense of Mayweather because boxing fans want to see how he handles a good fighter in his prime.
The problem is that I see exactly what Mayweather sees: Though Ortiz looks good on paper. He’s a southpaw, young and relentless in throwing punches, but Ortiz gases out after six rounds in single last one of his fights. That’s exactly what Mayweather is banking on. Boxing is a skill of habit and the chances of suddenly breaking a career-long habit in a few weeks of training camp, is highly unlikely. Ortiz’s habit is gasing out after six rounds.
The way I see it playing out is Ortiz will put up a great fight and will probably be winning on the scorecards through the first four to five rounds, but after he gases out in the sixth round, which Ortiz has shown to do throughout the history of his fights, Mayweather will come out of his defense-first mode and overwhelm Ortiz, making it basically a Zab Judah rerun all over again.
Now some may say that Ortiz kept fighting in the Berto fight after six rounds. But if you watch the tape, Ortix’s legs were clearly going away. The difference is that Berto doesn’t cover up well, so Ortiz was still able to swing and catch Berto will blows to the head. Berto was gased at this point in time as well.
Mayweather, however, can go 12 rounds without getting tired and he covers up very well, which may be the difference in the fight.
I am a huge Mayweather fan, but like most real boxing fans, it wouldn’t hurt to see him action more often.
A Mayweather loss is the only way that will happen though, so Ortiz, if you are reading this, do boxing a huge favor, and give Mayweather his first loss by using your southpaw stance to your advantage, and let your hands go for all 12 rounds.
Make no mistake about it, Ortiz will not win a decision, regardless of what the scorecards say.
Ortiz has to knock Mayweather out. That’s the best thing that could ever happen to boxing.
Robert Helenius: “Wladimir Klitschko is really good at beating smaller guys
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 140th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with undefeated heavyweight contender Robert Helenius (16-0, 11 KOs) who is coming off an impressive ninth round stoppage victory against former WBO champion Sergei Liakhovich (25-4, 16 KOs). Liakhovich is now the third former heavyweight world champion to be stopped by “The Nordic Nightmare” inside the distance, with Samuel Peter and Lamon Brewster being the others. Helenius spoke about his victory, talked about his future, and also shared his views on the current state of the heavyweight landscape. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: To kick this show right off, coming off a very impressive performance from this past weekend, we’re joined by “The Nordic Nightmare” Robert Helenius. How’s everything going today Robert?
ROBERT HELENIUS: Hey, everything is fine. I’m just on vacation with my family here. I’m a little bit tired after the fight, but everything is cool.
JENNA: Well that’s good to hear. Well you had a heck of a fight this past Saturday night against Sergei Liakhovich.
HELENIUS: Thank you.
JENNA:A lot of people are saying it’s one of the best heavyweight fights they’ve seen in a long time. How do you feel about your performance?
HELENIUS: Yeah, of course I feel always that I could do better and maybe move more on my feet and stuff like that apart from my own distance. I don’t know. I just felt like I wanted to do some close combat and stuff like that, that I usually don’t do in the fights. But I’m pleased with my fight, yeah.
JENNA: Alright, now did he do anything in the ring that surprised you?
HELENIUS: No. I knew he was going to go. I was ready to go twelve rounds. I knew he was in good shape and he got like three and a half months time to prepare and he is very much experienced. So I knew he was going to be a tough guy.
JENNA: Well he did very well in the early rounds, and from your perspective what do you think you could have done differently to have had an easier time with him?
HELENIUS: Just like I said, maybe fight at a bit more distance and more jabbing and keeping distance. I think that would have worked great, but I don’t know. I was kind of lazy at some points in the fight I felt.
JENNA: One thing boxing fans have really complimented you on was your ability to finish Sergei Liakhovich when he was hurt. In the ninth round you had this beautiful combination with an uppercut. Can you tell us a little bit about the moment when you scored the knockout?
HELENIUS: Yeah I saw in round eight when I was starting to pursue him, I saw in his face that he was hit in all the rounds so many times that he was starting to get tired. I noticed that and I really tried to pressure and pursue him in the eighth round and I got him down on his knee. Then I knew I had to finish him in the ninth round. I did a really explosive uppercut and it landed perfectly, so after that I just said, “Now you’re going down”.
JENNA: A lot of fans are saying your fight with Liakhovich really stole the show over the fight between Povetkin and Chagaev. I’m curious, did you get a chance to see that matchup between those two guys?
HELENIUS: I saw in the locker room like a few rounds before, but I didn’t see the whole fight. It didn’t really look close to me in the first two rounds, but then I didn’t see so I can’t really comment on that.
JENNA: That’s fine, but as far as future opponents go where do you see Alexander Povetkin in your plans?
HELENIUS: It’s kind of hard for me to say. I plan everything with my manager and stuff like that so I can’t really tell. I’m just recovering from my last fight so I haven’t even started thinking about my next fight.
JENNA: You are getting a lot of fan praise saying you’re probably the most dangerous heavyweight out there right now. You’re undefeated, you have good size, and especially with two champions like the Klitschkos that are big, they say that you have the best chance to defeat them. Do you feel that way?
HELENIUS: Yeah, I’m not sure if I’m really ready for that yet. Maybe one or two or three fights maybe, just to make my confidence a little bit higher and to work on my stamina a little more maybe.
JENNA: Okay, well Robert we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Robert. Congratulations on the victory and welcome back to the show.
HELENIUS: Thank you.
CIANI: I wanted to ask you Robert, you now have three knockout victories against former heavyweight world champions. How does that make you feel in itself?
HELENIUS: (laughs) It feels good, of course. You know, but I have trained also. I worked for it a long time, so of course it feels really good to show results.
CIANI: Now you said that you didn’t think you were quite ready for a Klitschko yet and that you might need a couple of more fights and some time to work on your stamina. Is your stamina the one area in your game then that you feel could use the most improvement?
HELENIUS: Yeah I think you could say that. My footwork and everything, you need really good conditioning to move around 110 kilos for twelve rounds. I feel really good. I wasn’t feeling tired in that last fight, but still I want to improve myself to give myself better self confidence. Then I can really go in there and beat them.
CIANI: Now Robert you have deceptive power in my opinion, where when I’m watching your fights on TV it doesn’t always look like you’re throwing the hardest punches, but the way that your opponents react when you hit them you can tell that you’re hitting them hard and you carry this power late into the fights, which is rare for heavyweights. How do you explain your ability to be able to carry your knockout power into the later rounds?
HELENIUS: Like I said I didn’t feel tired. I felt like he was just hanging around. I started to pursue him really, really hard and in the eighth round I got the knockdown. I don’t know. I felt really good I get more power from when I see the other guys getting tired, and I felt like that. We have trained for a lot of power, and maybe it’s the technique also. My hits come straight from the chin sometimes, so sometimes it’s really explosive, and I did a rhythmic change there in the eighth and ninth round with some really explosive punches, so I think that makes the punches even harder.
CIANI: I wanted to get your views on an upcoming heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek. Do you think somebody as small as Adamek has any shot against the older Klitschko brother?
HELENIUS: I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s really hard to tell. I think Adamek is prime and he’s young and I think he’s going to try to win of course, but maybe he’s just too short and too little for Klitschko I think. I think Klitschko is going to dominate with his left hand like he always does. I think maybe he has in the beginning a really good shot to knock him down or something like that, but if Klitschko’s as good as before, I think he’s going to dominate.
JENNA: Alright well Robert, people made a lot of the Klitschko versus Haye fight saying that it was a disappointment. Do you think that fight in any way negatively impacted the heavyweight division due to the fact that it did turn some boxing fans off?
HELENIUS: For me, of course it was also a disappointment that they didn’t do as much work as I was expecting, but Wladimir Klitschko is really good at beating smaller guys from a distance where they feel powerless from doing anything. Maybe it wasn’t that good of a fight. I don’t know. It’s really hard to comment on that.
JENNA: Okay well I went to get your views on something else that people are talking about, and they are a little bit upset about it. Povetkin won the WBA “regular” belt while Wladimir Klitschko is the unified champion who holds the main belt. Do you think that Povetkin should really be considered a champion holding the belt that people really say doesn’t have much value?
HELENIUS: That’s a really hard question, also. I don’t think so often about that stuff. I’m just trying to get up to the top and of course it’s nice Povetkin got a world title shot. There are so many belts out there. I have friends and fans that ask me what about this one, what about that one, but it’s really hard now days when there are so many belts out there. Now when they’re making new belts, I don’t know. It’s very bad for the whole spirit of the game.
JENNA: Every fighter we have on the show usually says it doesn’t matter who they get in the ring with. They just want to get back out there, but for you is there any particular name that you’re targeting for your next fight?
HELENIUS: No. Not really. No. I’m just waiting on talking to my promoter, and manager, and trainer, and we’ll sit down after my vacation and talk things through to see what we’re going to do next.
CIANI: Robert I’m just curious, when you look at yourself now you’re a young undefeated fighter. What is it you would ultimately like to accomplish in boxing?
HELENIUS: I haven’t really thought about that, but of course being a world champion—a unified world champion—that would be perfect. That would be my dream.
CIANI: Now you’re starting to become a very popular name amongst die hard boxing fans, but a lot of the casual fans especially over here in America, they don’t know much about you. How important do you think it is to start getting more American TV dates?
HELENIS: I think it’s really important for the fans in the sport as a whole, for the whole boxing community. I think it would be good if there were more interesting fights, but like I said with the belts. Maybe too many belts make it hard to know who’s the real champion and stuff like that, and maybe that’s why people don’t get more interested when there are like three or four champions and stuff like that. Of course it’s very important. I hope people like my fights over there in the USA and maybe some day I am going to fight there.
CIANI: Now Liakhovich had a better performance against you then a lot of people were expecting, and it was actually the best he’s looked in years. Do you think he still has something to offer the heavyweight division?
HELENIUS: Yeah, he was a tough opponent of course, but I don’t think he has a shot to go for a heavyweight world title.
JENNA: Alright well Robert, we have just a couple of more questions before we let you off the line and I want to get your view on the Klitschko brothers themselves. People debate who is the better fighter, who is the better Klitschko, who is more dangerous? From your view, who do you think is the more dangerous opponent out of those two?
HELENIUS: It would be a better question after Adamek and Vitali fight, because Wladimir we have already seen not so long ago and Vitali is getting old. What is he? 39? 40 years?
JENNA: Yeah, 40.
HELENIUS: 40 yeah? So also I think it’s really hard for him to keep in shape for such a long time. I don’t know how many years he’s been professional, but at this point I think Wladimir would be the better fighter.
JENNA: With regards to yourself how soon before you see yourself getting back in the ring?
HELENIUS: I take right now two weeks vacation, and then I start training again maybe in November or something like that.
JENNA: Alright well I have one final question. Is there anything you want to say to your fans and supporters that came out and watched you fight against Sergei Liakhovich?
HELENIUS: Thank you, and I hope you bring more fans next time and that you get interested in my fighting style.
JENNA: Robert it was a pleasure having you back on the show and we look forward to seeing what you continue to do at heavyweight.
HELENIUS: Thank you. The pleasure was all mine.
CIANI: Thank you, Robert. Best of luck.
HELENIUS: Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye.
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 140th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with undefeated heavyweight contender Robert Helenius (16-0, 11 KOs) who is coming off an impressive ninth round stoppage victory against former WBO champion Sergei Liakhovich (25-4, 16 KOs). Liakhovich is now the third former heavyweight world champion to be stopped by “The Nordic Nightmare” inside the distance, with Samuel Peter and Lamon Brewster being the others. Helenius spoke about his victory, talked about his future, and also shared his views on the current state of the heavyweight landscape. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: To kick this show right off, coming off a very impressive performance from this past weekend, we’re joined by “The Nordic Nightmare” Robert Helenius. How’s everything going today Robert?
ROBERT HELENIUS: Hey, everything is fine. I’m just on vacation with my family here. I’m a little bit tired after the fight, but everything is cool.
JENNA: Well that’s good to hear. Well you had a heck of a fight this past Saturday night against Sergei Liakhovich.
HELENIUS: Thank you.
JENNA:A lot of people are saying it’s one of the best heavyweight fights they’ve seen in a long time. How do you feel about your performance?
HELENIUS: Yeah, of course I feel always that I could do better and maybe move more on my feet and stuff like that apart from my own distance. I don’t know. I just felt like I wanted to do some close combat and stuff like that, that I usually don’t do in the fights. But I’m pleased with my fight, yeah.
JENNA: Alright, now did he do anything in the ring that surprised you?
HELENIUS: No. I knew he was going to go. I was ready to go twelve rounds. I knew he was in good shape and he got like three and a half months time to prepare and he is very much experienced. So I knew he was going to be a tough guy.
JENNA: Well he did very well in the early rounds, and from your perspective what do you think you could have done differently to have had an easier time with him?
HELENIUS: Just like I said, maybe fight at a bit more distance and more jabbing and keeping distance. I think that would have worked great, but I don’t know. I was kind of lazy at some points in the fight I felt.
JENNA: One thing boxing fans have really complimented you on was your ability to finish Sergei Liakhovich when he was hurt. In the ninth round you had this beautiful combination with an uppercut. Can you tell us a little bit about the moment when you scored the knockout?
HELENIUS: Yeah I saw in round eight when I was starting to pursue him, I saw in his face that he was hit in all the rounds so many times that he was starting to get tired. I noticed that and I really tried to pressure and pursue him in the eighth round and I got him down on his knee. Then I knew I had to finish him in the ninth round. I did a really explosive uppercut and it landed perfectly, so after that I just said, “Now you’re going down”.
JENNA: A lot of fans are saying your fight with Liakhovich really stole the show over the fight between Povetkin and Chagaev. I’m curious, did you get a chance to see that matchup between those two guys?
HELENIUS: I saw in the locker room like a few rounds before, but I didn’t see the whole fight. It didn’t really look close to me in the first two rounds, but then I didn’t see so I can’t really comment on that.
JENNA: That’s fine, but as far as future opponents go where do you see Alexander Povetkin in your plans?
HELENIUS: It’s kind of hard for me to say. I plan everything with my manager and stuff like that so I can’t really tell. I’m just recovering from my last fight so I haven’t even started thinking about my next fight.
JENNA: You are getting a lot of fan praise saying you’re probably the most dangerous heavyweight out there right now. You’re undefeated, you have good size, and especially with two champions like the Klitschkos that are big, they say that you have the best chance to defeat them. Do you feel that way?
HELENIUS: Yeah, I’m not sure if I’m really ready for that yet. Maybe one or two or three fights maybe, just to make my confidence a little bit higher and to work on my stamina a little more maybe.
JENNA: Okay, well Robert we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Robert. Congratulations on the victory and welcome back to the show.
HELENIUS: Thank you.
CIANI: I wanted to ask you Robert, you now have three knockout victories against former heavyweight world champions. How does that make you feel in itself?
HELENIUS: (laughs) It feels good, of course. You know, but I have trained also. I worked for it a long time, so of course it feels really good to show results.
CIANI: Now you said that you didn’t think you were quite ready for a Klitschko yet and that you might need a couple of more fights and some time to work on your stamina. Is your stamina the one area in your game then that you feel could use the most improvement?
HELENIUS: Yeah I think you could say that. My footwork and everything, you need really good conditioning to move around 110 kilos for twelve rounds. I feel really good. I wasn’t feeling tired in that last fight, but still I want to improve myself to give myself better self confidence. Then I can really go in there and beat them.
CIANI: Now Robert you have deceptive power in my opinion, where when I’m watching your fights on TV it doesn’t always look like you’re throwing the hardest punches, but the way that your opponents react when you hit them you can tell that you’re hitting them hard and you carry this power late into the fights, which is rare for heavyweights. How do you explain your ability to be able to carry your knockout power into the later rounds?
HELENIUS: Like I said I didn’t feel tired. I felt like he was just hanging around. I started to pursue him really, really hard and in the eighth round I got the knockdown. I don’t know. I felt really good I get more power from when I see the other guys getting tired, and I felt like that. We have trained for a lot of power, and maybe it’s the technique also. My hits come straight from the chin sometimes, so sometimes it’s really explosive, and I did a rhythmic change there in the eighth and ninth round with some really explosive punches, so I think that makes the punches even harder.
CIANI: I wanted to get your views on an upcoming heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek. Do you think somebody as small as Adamek has any shot against the older Klitschko brother?
HELENIUS: I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s really hard to tell. I think Adamek is prime and he’s young and I think he’s going to try to win of course, but maybe he’s just too short and too little for Klitschko I think. I think Klitschko is going to dominate with his left hand like he always does. I think maybe he has in the beginning a really good shot to knock him down or something like that, but if Klitschko’s as good as before, I think he’s going to dominate.
JENNA: Alright well Robert, people made a lot of the Klitschko versus Haye fight saying that it was a disappointment. Do you think that fight in any way negatively impacted the heavyweight division due to the fact that it did turn some boxing fans off?
HELENIUS: For me, of course it was also a disappointment that they didn’t do as much work as I was expecting, but Wladimir Klitschko is really good at beating smaller guys from a distance where they feel powerless from doing anything. Maybe it wasn’t that good of a fight. I don’t know. It’s really hard to comment on that.
JENNA: Okay well I went to get your views on something else that people are talking about, and they are a little bit upset about it. Povetkin won the WBA “regular” belt while Wladimir Klitschko is the unified champion who holds the main belt. Do you think that Povetkin should really be considered a champion holding the belt that people really say doesn’t have much value?
HELENIUS: That’s a really hard question, also. I don’t think so often about that stuff. I’m just trying to get up to the top and of course it’s nice Povetkin got a world title shot. There are so many belts out there. I have friends and fans that ask me what about this one, what about that one, but it’s really hard now days when there are so many belts out there. Now when they’re making new belts, I don’t know. It’s very bad for the whole spirit of the game.
JENNA: Every fighter we have on the show usually says it doesn’t matter who they get in the ring with. They just want to get back out there, but for you is there any particular name that you’re targeting for your next fight?
HELENIUS: No. Not really. No. I’m just waiting on talking to my promoter, and manager, and trainer, and we’ll sit down after my vacation and talk things through to see what we’re going to do next.
CIANI: Robert I’m just curious, when you look at yourself now you’re a young undefeated fighter. What is it you would ultimately like to accomplish in boxing?
HELENIUS: I haven’t really thought about that, but of course being a world champion—a unified world champion—that would be perfect. That would be my dream.
CIANI: Now you’re starting to become a very popular name amongst die hard boxing fans, but a lot of the casual fans especially over here in America, they don’t know much about you. How important do you think it is to start getting more American TV dates?
HELENIS: I think it’s really important for the fans in the sport as a whole, for the whole boxing community. I think it would be good if there were more interesting fights, but like I said with the belts. Maybe too many belts make it hard to know who’s the real champion and stuff like that, and maybe that’s why people don’t get more interested when there are like three or four champions and stuff like that. Of course it’s very important. I hope people like my fights over there in the USA and maybe some day I am going to fight there.
CIANI: Now Liakhovich had a better performance against you then a lot of people were expecting, and it was actually the best he’s looked in years. Do you think he still has something to offer the heavyweight division?
HELENIUS: Yeah, he was a tough opponent of course, but I don’t think he has a shot to go for a heavyweight world title.
JENNA: Alright well Robert, we have just a couple of more questions before we let you off the line and I want to get your view on the Klitschko brothers themselves. People debate who is the better fighter, who is the better Klitschko, who is more dangerous? From your view, who do you think is the more dangerous opponent out of those two?
HELENIUS: It would be a better question after Adamek and Vitali fight, because Wladimir we have already seen not so long ago and Vitali is getting old. What is he? 39? 40 years?
JENNA: Yeah, 40.
HELENIUS: 40 yeah? So also I think it’s really hard for him to keep in shape for such a long time. I don’t know how many years he’s been professional, but at this point I think Wladimir would be the better fighter.
JENNA: With regards to yourself how soon before you see yourself getting back in the ring?
HELENIUS: I take right now two weeks vacation, and then I start training again maybe in November or something like that.
JENNA: Alright well I have one final question. Is there anything you want to say to your fans and supporters that came out and watched you fight against Sergei Liakhovich?
HELENIUS: Thank you, and I hope you bring more fans next time and that you get interested in my fighting style.
JENNA: Robert it was a pleasure having you back on the show and we look forward to seeing what you continue to do at heavyweight.
HELENIUS: Thank you. The pleasure was all mine.
CIANI: Thank you, Robert. Best of luck.
HELENIUS: Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye.
NY Post - De La Hoya paid $20 million to keep one night a secret
By Vitali Shaposhnikov: According to a fresh report by the New York Post, Oscar De La Hoya (39-6-0) paid Milana Dravlen of Siberia a massive $20 million just to keep his cross dressing night a secret. - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/kink_of_the_ring_rNu8Kx75pw1LldsGhIk9kM
The money was supposed to buy complete confidentiality, as well as the return of all the clothing that Oscar wore that night, as Dravlen kept it after their hangout.
"One of these nights when I was drunk and alone again, I asked myself, 'Is it worth it to be alive?' I was already feeling like I had nothing. And what is going through your mind are your children, your wife, the people who love you."
This very incident could have cost all of us, including his family and friends, a great inspiration figure to all, a loyal friend to some, and a husband and father to others.
I guess the lesson here is, as long as there is money to be made for someone, no sports or Hollywood celebrity is ever safe from the public, as confidentiality is easily sold.
Article posted on 02.09.2011
By Vitali Shaposhnikov: According to a fresh report by the New York Post, Oscar De La Hoya (39-6-0) paid Milana Dravlen of Siberia a massive $20 million just to keep his cross dressing night a secret. - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/kink_of_the_ring_rNu8Kx75pw1LldsGhIk9kM
The money was supposed to buy complete confidentiality, as well as the return of all the clothing that Oscar wore that night, as Dravlen kept it after their hangout.
"One of these nights when I was drunk and alone again, I asked myself, 'Is it worth it to be alive?' I was already feeling like I had nothing. And what is going through your mind are your children, your wife, the people who love you."
This very incident could have cost all of us, including his family and friends, a great inspiration figure to all, a loyal friend to some, and a husband and father to others.
I guess the lesson here is, as long as there is money to be made for someone, no sports or Hollywood celebrity is ever safe from the public, as confidentiality is easily sold.
Article posted on 02.09.2011
Floyd Sr: I can improve Pacquiao, but he’d still get whipped by Mayweather Jr
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks he could make some badly needed improvements to Manny Pacquiao’s game give if given the chance to train him. However, Floyd Sr. still doesn’t think Pacquiao would ever be good enough to beat his son Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The reason is because of Pacquiao’s lack of arm length, his poor boxing fundamentals, and his lack of a jab. These are three areas that Floyd Sr. feels would keep Pacquiao from ever beating his son, and I totally agree with him.
Floyd Sr. said this in an interview at eastsideboxing.com’s On The Ropes Boxing Radio Program: “I can improve him [Pacquiao]. But improving him, he’s still not at the status where he can beat little Floyd, because he doesn’t have the ability to do what it takes to beat little Floyd. [he is] a shorter man, ain’t got no reach, ain’t no jabber. It’s not a guy like Pacquiao who can beat Floyd. He just comes in throwing punches like a woman. I would have him jabbing a lot more, and I would have him moving his head.”
I totally agree with Floyd Sr. Pacquiao doesn’t move his head, and he has a bad habit of running forward while throwing punches that seems beyond change. Pacquiao is stuck in how he fights no matter how much his trainer Freddie Roach tries to break him of his bad habits. Pacquiao’s arms also too short for him to ever beat a guy like Mayweather. This isn’t Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito or Joshua Clottey were talking about. Mayweather Jr. is a level or two above those guys and can actually fight.
He’s going to make Pacquiao look like he’s got two left feet if and when they ever do mix it up. But, yes, Pacquiao could really use a good trainer like Floyd Sr. because Roach hasn’t done much in helping Pacquiao keep from getting hit. As far as I can tell, Roach’s main focus seems to be on offense and not defense. Like I said, against the fodder that’s being fed to Pacquiao, it really doesn’t matter how poor Pacquiao’s fundamentals are. He can beat those guys using any style, but against a quality fighter like Mayweather, Pacquiao’s inability to move his head, block shots and his lack of a jab is going to hurt him.
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. thinks he could make some badly needed improvements to Manny Pacquiao’s game give if given the chance to train him. However, Floyd Sr. still doesn’t think Pacquiao would ever be good enough to beat his son Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The reason is because of Pacquiao’s lack of arm length, his poor boxing fundamentals, and his lack of a jab. These are three areas that Floyd Sr. feels would keep Pacquiao from ever beating his son, and I totally agree with him.
Floyd Sr. said this in an interview at eastsideboxing.com’s On The Ropes Boxing Radio Program: “I can improve him [Pacquiao]. But improving him, he’s still not at the status where he can beat little Floyd, because he doesn’t have the ability to do what it takes to beat little Floyd. [he is] a shorter man, ain’t got no reach, ain’t no jabber. It’s not a guy like Pacquiao who can beat Floyd. He just comes in throwing punches like a woman. I would have him jabbing a lot more, and I would have him moving his head.”
I totally agree with Floyd Sr. Pacquiao doesn’t move his head, and he has a bad habit of running forward while throwing punches that seems beyond change. Pacquiao is stuck in how he fights no matter how much his trainer Freddie Roach tries to break him of his bad habits. Pacquiao’s arms also too short for him to ever beat a guy like Mayweather. This isn’t Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito or Joshua Clottey were talking about. Mayweather Jr. is a level or two above those guys and can actually fight.
He’s going to make Pacquiao look like he’s got two left feet if and when they ever do mix it up. But, yes, Pacquiao could really use a good trainer like Floyd Sr. because Roach hasn’t done much in helping Pacquiao keep from getting hit. As far as I can tell, Roach’s main focus seems to be on offense and not defense. Like I said, against the fodder that’s being fed to Pacquiao, it really doesn’t matter how poor Pacquiao’s fundamentals are. He can beat those guys using any style, but against a quality fighter like Mayweather, Pacquiao’s inability to move his head, block shots and his lack of a jab is going to hurt him.
Marquez to receive $5 million; Pacquiao $20 million for November fight
By Chris Williams: 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez will be receiving the biggest payday of his career by far in his November 12th fight against Manny Pacquiao. Marquez will reportedly receive a guaranteed $5 million for the fight, while Pacquiao brings in $20 million.
In hindsight, it actually worked out to Marquez’s benefit that Pacquiao waited this long to fight him instead of giving him an immediate rematch after Pacquiao’s controversial split decision win over Marquez in 2008. Had they fought back then, Marquez would have likely had to settle for much less than what he’s getting now. It’s good money obviously and will help pad Marquez’s retirement years in Mexico now that he’s nearing the end of his career.
In an article at the Manila Bulletin, Pacquiao said he’s going to make Marquez “Bleed every cent” if his $5 million payday loot. “Marquez is getting the biggest purse by fighting me,” Pacquiao said.
Wow, it sounds like Pacquiao is almost resentful about Marquez getting good money. Pacquiao could always dragged out another one of his Top Rank teammates to fight again, like Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, if he didn’t want Marquez to get a good payday. The problem is if you want to fight the best you’ve got to be willing to pay them. That’s how it works.
Marquez is better than those guys and he’s proven it through the years. Why it took so long for Pacquiao to fight Marquez again is really the big questions. Cotto had already been badly beaten up by the time Pacquiao fought him, and Margarito was a shell of his former self by the time Pacquiao got to him. Instead of taking those fights, Pacquiao should have fought Marquez a long time ago when Marquez was still young. Now he’s old, the waist is a lot wider, the hands are slower, and he’s not what he once was. I guess it’s true that timing is everything in boxing.
By Chris Williams: 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez will be receiving the biggest payday of his career by far in his November 12th fight against Manny Pacquiao. Marquez will reportedly receive a guaranteed $5 million for the fight, while Pacquiao brings in $20 million.
In hindsight, it actually worked out to Marquez’s benefit that Pacquiao waited this long to fight him instead of giving him an immediate rematch after Pacquiao’s controversial split decision win over Marquez in 2008. Had they fought back then, Marquez would have likely had to settle for much less than what he’s getting now. It’s good money obviously and will help pad Marquez’s retirement years in Mexico now that he’s nearing the end of his career.
In an article at the Manila Bulletin, Pacquiao said he’s going to make Marquez “Bleed every cent” if his $5 million payday loot. “Marquez is getting the biggest purse by fighting me,” Pacquiao said.
Wow, it sounds like Pacquiao is almost resentful about Marquez getting good money. Pacquiao could always dragged out another one of his Top Rank teammates to fight again, like Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, if he didn’t want Marquez to get a good payday. The problem is if you want to fight the best you’ve got to be willing to pay them. That’s how it works.
Marquez is better than those guys and he’s proven it through the years. Why it took so long for Pacquiao to fight Marquez again is really the big questions. Cotto had already been badly beaten up by the time Pacquiao fought him, and Margarito was a shell of his former self by the time Pacquiao got to him. Instead of taking those fights, Pacquiao should have fought Marquez a long time ago when Marquez was still young. Now he’s old, the waist is a lot wider, the hands are slower, and he’s not what he once was. I guess it’s true that timing is everything in boxing.
Mayweather Sr. to open his own gym in Las Vegas
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. reportedly is in the planning stages for opening up his own gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. This has nothing to do with Mayweather Sr. being kicked out of his son’s gym Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the Mayweather-Ortiz 24/7 episode 1. It more has to do with Mayweather Sr. wanting to have his own gym to train his fighters.
He previously trained his guys at Johnny Toccco’s Gmym, but Mayweather Sr. he wants to have his own place. This makes a lot of sense because he’s considered one of the best trainers in boxing, and if guys like Freddie Roach is successfully running his own gym in Los Angeles, California, then an amazing trainer like Mayweather Sr. really needs to have his own gym.
I see Mayweather Sr. as a much better trainer than Roach, who I see as more of a strategy guy than a good trainer. Mayweather Sr. trained his son Floyd Jr. during the formative period in his youth, and taught him pretty much everything he knows. If you look at Mayweather Jr. fight, that’s all Mayweather Sr’s teachings. Mayweather Sr. has trained a lot of good fighters such as Chad Dawson, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton to name just a few. He did more with Dawson than any other trainer has, and I think Dawson would be better off with Mayweather Sr. training him rather than Emanuel Steward. Mayweather Sr. also helped De La Hoya develop some defense late in his career. Mayweather Sr. recently made some valuable observations about Manny Pacquiao’s flawed technique, pointing out some badly needed changes in his game. It’s a wonder why Pacquiao’s trainer Roach has never made the changes that Mayweather Sr. was pointing out.
By Chris Williams: Floyd Mayweather Sr. reportedly is in the planning stages for opening up his own gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. This has nothing to do with Mayweather Sr. being kicked out of his son’s gym Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the Mayweather-Ortiz 24/7 episode 1. It more has to do with Mayweather Sr. wanting to have his own gym to train his fighters.
He previously trained his guys at Johnny Toccco’s Gmym, but Mayweather Sr. he wants to have his own place. This makes a lot of sense because he’s considered one of the best trainers in boxing, and if guys like Freddie Roach is successfully running his own gym in Los Angeles, California, then an amazing trainer like Mayweather Sr. really needs to have his own gym.
I see Mayweather Sr. as a much better trainer than Roach, who I see as more of a strategy guy than a good trainer. Mayweather Sr. trained his son Floyd Jr. during the formative period in his youth, and taught him pretty much everything he knows. If you look at Mayweather Jr. fight, that’s all Mayweather Sr’s teachings. Mayweather Sr. has trained a lot of good fighters such as Chad Dawson, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton to name just a few. He did more with Dawson than any other trainer has, and I think Dawson would be better off with Mayweather Sr. training him rather than Emanuel Steward. Mayweather Sr. also helped De La Hoya develop some defense late in his career. Mayweather Sr. recently made some valuable observations about Manny Pacquiao’s flawed technique, pointing out some badly needed changes in his game. It’s a wonder why Pacquiao’s trainer Roach has never made the changes that Mayweather Sr. was pointing out.
Maidana expected to pick his next opponent this week for September 23 bout
by William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (30-2, 27 KO’s) is expected to select his next opponent this week for his September 23rd fight at the Sociedad Alemana, Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Maidana, 28, will likely take on someone less than impressive because he doesn’t have a lot of time to dig up a quality opponent at this point. He’s not going to take on a dangerous opponent, and he likely wouldn’t get a fighter to face him even if he wanted to. No wants to face a slugger like Maidana with only two weeks notice.
Maidana was supposed to have fought Robert Guerrero on August 27th, but because he tore up his left shoulder while training for the fight the bout had to be called off. Maidana is now looking to make the best of a bad situation by staying busy and fighting the a body. This will be an easy fight, but Maidana’s next bout could be a tough one, as Breidis Prescott and Paul McCloskey are fighting this Saturday in a WBA light welterweight eliminator bout.
Maidana can fight the winner of that bout or he can face number #1 World Boxing Association contender Humberto Soto next. Soto already said he wants to fight Maidana, and this is a bout that HBO would jump all over if Maidana agrees to it. Likewise, HBO would likely be interested in seeing Maidana face knockout artist Prescott if he emerges victorious against McCloskey.
Maidana needs to work on his stamina, because he looked exhausted in his last fight against Erik Morales last April. He also had stamina problems in his fight against Khan. If Maidana doesn’t fix this problems he’s going to end up getting beaten again soon.
by William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (30-2, 27 KO’s) is expected to select his next opponent this week for his September 23rd fight at the Sociedad Alemana, Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Maidana, 28, will likely take on someone less than impressive because he doesn’t have a lot of time to dig up a quality opponent at this point. He’s not going to take on a dangerous opponent, and he likely wouldn’t get a fighter to face him even if he wanted to. No wants to face a slugger like Maidana with only two weeks notice.
Maidana was supposed to have fought Robert Guerrero on August 27th, but because he tore up his left shoulder while training for the fight the bout had to be called off. Maidana is now looking to make the best of a bad situation by staying busy and fighting the a body. This will be an easy fight, but Maidana’s next bout could be a tough one, as Breidis Prescott and Paul McCloskey are fighting this Saturday in a WBA light welterweight eliminator bout.
Maidana can fight the winner of that bout or he can face number #1 World Boxing Association contender Humberto Soto next. Soto already said he wants to fight Maidana, and this is a bout that HBO would jump all over if Maidana agrees to it. Likewise, HBO would likely be interested in seeing Maidana face knockout artist Prescott if he emerges victorious against McCloskey.
Maidana needs to work on his stamina, because he looked exhausted in his last fight against Erik Morales last April. He also had stamina problems in his fight against Khan. If Maidana doesn’t fix this problems he’s going to end up getting beaten again soon.
Berto wants the big fights, but shouldn’t he rematch Zaveck first
By Dan Ambrose: With his 5th round cut stoppage win over IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck (31-2, 18 KO’s) last weekend, Andre Berto (28-1, 21 KO’s) wants to target the big names in boxing like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Victor Ortiz and Amir Khan.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of performance that would put Berto into one of those fights because Berto was fading badly after only the 3rd round against Zaveck. If not for the cut that Zaveck suffered in the 5th, Berto likely would have lost that fight. As it is, the fight left a lot of controversy and it’s hard to see it as an impressive win.
For Berto’s loyal boxing fans or those who saw it as an impressive performance, they were looking exclusively at the first three rounds of the fight and not the last two. If fans were to look at the 4th and 5th, they’ll notice that Berto had stopped punching, and was taking one-sided punishment as he tried to cover up. Berto looked gassed, and that’s the only way you can explain those last two rounds where Berto was just taking big shots.
Unfortunately, the fight ended between the 5th and 6th rounds because of Zaveck’s cuts, and boxing fans were unable to see if Zaveck could have finished Berto off. But one thing is for sure this wasn’t a fight that leads to bigger fights. It was a bad performance by Berto and a clear sign that something is wrong with his game.
Although he talked about wanting a rematch with Victor Ortiz after the bout, he’s not ready to get back in there with him. Had that been Ortiz in there last Saturday night instead of the slower, weaker Zaveck, Berto likely would have been picking himself up off the canvas in the 4th and 5th rounds. Ortiz would have knocked Berto out.
By Dan Ambrose: With his 5th round cut stoppage win over IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck (31-2, 18 KO’s) last weekend, Andre Berto (28-1, 21 KO’s) wants to target the big names in boxing like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Victor Ortiz and Amir Khan.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of performance that would put Berto into one of those fights because Berto was fading badly after only the 3rd round against Zaveck. If not for the cut that Zaveck suffered in the 5th, Berto likely would have lost that fight. As it is, the fight left a lot of controversy and it’s hard to see it as an impressive win.
For Berto’s loyal boxing fans or those who saw it as an impressive performance, they were looking exclusively at the first three rounds of the fight and not the last two. If fans were to look at the 4th and 5th, they’ll notice that Berto had stopped punching, and was taking one-sided punishment as he tried to cover up. Berto looked gassed, and that’s the only way you can explain those last two rounds where Berto was just taking big shots.
Unfortunately, the fight ended between the 5th and 6th rounds because of Zaveck’s cuts, and boxing fans were unable to see if Zaveck could have finished Berto off. But one thing is for sure this wasn’t a fight that leads to bigger fights. It was a bad performance by Berto and a clear sign that something is wrong with his game.
Although he talked about wanting a rematch with Victor Ortiz after the bout, he’s not ready to get back in there with him. Had that been Ortiz in there last Saturday night instead of the slower, weaker Zaveck, Berto likely would have been picking himself up off the canvas in the 4th and 5th rounds. Ortiz would have knocked Berto out.
Mikkel Kessler: “I want the fans to know that I’m not afraid of Lucian Bute! Nobody
Mikkel Kessler: “I want the fans to know that I’m not afraid of Lucian Bute! Nobody wants to fight for free
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 140th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with former two-time super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs) who is scheduled to challenge WBO champion Robert Stieglitz (40-2, 23 KOs) as he attempts to become a three-time champion. Kessler spoke about his upcoming fight and also shared opinions on various other matters, including Lucian Bute, the Super Six Final between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, Bernard Hopkins versus Chad Dawson, the Mayweather family feud, and more! Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Let’s move to our second guest of this week’s show. He is the former super middleweight champion of the world. He is “The Viking Warrior”. We’re joined by Mikkel Kessler. How’s everything going today, Mikkel?
MIKKEL KESSLER: Everything is very good. It’s going forward. I feel good in my body and the training is going good.
JENNA: Well your training for an upcoming title fight against Robert Stieglitz. What do you think about your opponent?
KESSLER: Robert Stieglitz is a very tough fighter. He’s an intelligent fighter and a tough puncher. I don’t have to underestimate him. He was world champion just after the Super Six began, so I’ve got a very hard fight in front of me. Of course he’s a world champion, the WBO champion. He’s a very good fighter, but still, I know I’m better than him.
JENNA: Now are you working on anything in particular to prepare for his style?
KESSLER: Yes, of course I do but I can’t say to you guys. He will probably know. I know I got to keep him away with my long arms and my reach. He’s going to try and come in close on me and he’s going to try to put me under pressure, so I have to keep him away and use my technique.
JENNA: What things do you thing he does very well in the ring that could give you some problems?
KESSLER: Like keeping up the pressure all the time. If I let him control the fight I will have a big problem so that’s one of the things he does good. So don’t let him in the fight at all, that’s very important.
JENNA: Okay now the fight with Robert Stieglitz came together because a potential fight with Lucian Bute, for whatever reason, did not. Can you tell the fans out there a little bit about the reasons why you guys chose Robert Stieglitz instead of Lucian Bute?
KESSLER: Yes, Lucian Bute gave us an offer that was like he was saying no to fight me. That was the main problem. I was over there watching his fight and I was ready for the fight, but of course you cannot fight for free if you know what I mean. So that was a big problem about that, so I was lucky to fight Robert Stieglitz after. I am very happy about that.
JENNA: A lot of fans have debated whether or not they gave you a legit offer and some people have rumored that you were offered $3 million. Was there any truth to that?
KESSLER: (laughs) No, not at all! I wish it was true! But we were far, far away from that amount. That was a big problem. It was like he was saying no to fight me if you understand what I mean. So I want the fans to know that I’m not afraid of Lucian Bute! Nobody wants to fight for free. I’m really ready to fight for the big belt. I know I’m not a champion any more right now, and you can claim a lot money for that, so I’d be ready for less money but the offer we got was very bad.
JENNA: Alright well if you do win this fight with Robert Stieglitz you will be a champion again, and that will put you in a better negotiating position. Do you think that’s what you can obtain with this fight? That you can get a much bigger offer with Lucian Bute once you have a title of your own?
KESSLER: You know what? Right now I’m not even thinking about Lucian Bute. I would rather think about Robert Stieglitz. I want to take it one fight at a time. Robert Stieglitz is a world champion. I got to watch out if I want to be a world champion again for a third time. I’d see myself as a bigger champ than ever. So Lucian Bute I don’t think about so much. I’d rather think about the winner of the Super Six. Lucian Bute is a great fighter. I have not a bad word at all, so I’m going to be excited to watch him against Glen Johnson.
JENNA: You’re 32 years old now. How close to your prime do you think you are at this point? Do you still think you’re at your best?
KESSLER: Oh yes, of course! Of course I do! I learned to never take a fight if I don’t trust myself, if I feel like I don’t have my speed and power, and you know I still have a big feeling for boxing, and I’m ready to show the people that I can be in the Final of the Super Six and I could be the champ of the Super Six tournament. I have had the biggest fights already in the world, and I’m ready to show them I’ve had bad days. All of the fighters always have some bad days sometimes, and it’s a shame I had them in the biggest fights. I’m very ready to show my fans all over the world that I’m going to be back and I’m going to be champion again, and I’m going to show them that I am the best fighter in the world.
JENNA: Well Mikkel, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Mikkel. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show.
KESSLER: Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much.
CIANI: Mikkel, I wanted to ask you about your last fight in June against Mehdi Bouadla. That was your first fight in over a year and you had a very dominating performance. How did you feel after the long layoff?
KESSLER: I felt good because when you fight so many fights as I have in my career, I lost the year before. Of course it was because of the eye injury that I overcame. But you know what? I would be hungrier if I got the bigger fights, because I have so many fights now. So if I have to fight a guy that’s really nothing at all, then I cannot get myself up for the fight if you know what I mean. I wanted better fights than this. This is a championship fight. It’s a title fight so it’s going to be better for me. I don’t think about it that much. It’s one year off. I don’t want to have a tune-up fight. I don’t care about it. I want the best of the fighters in the world.
CIANI: Now you made reference to your eye issue a moment ago. Have there been any issues with that since you’ve returned?
KESSLER: No. It has been very good. Everything has worked very good. I actually trained a lot after the Mehdi Bouadla fight. Everything is very good and the training is going very good now, better than ever. My trainer Jim Montoya says that he’s never seen my stronger than I am now. Maybe one thing bad you could say about having a one year break is I’m been running and training a little bit, but I haven’t been on the high level. So now I’ve been on the high level for almost six months now and I can feel that in my body, so next time I’m going to be very dangerous.
CIANI: You mentioned the Super Six a little while ago, and the Final is coming up in October in a fight between two guys you have faced: Andre Ward and Carl Froch. Given the fact that you’ve been in the ring with both of these guys, how do you see that fight going down?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh, it’s a difficult fight like all the other Super Six fights. I would say that Carl Froch is a very, very strong fighter and he wants to fight with you. He wants to stand toe-to-toe and he wants to fight. I like those boxers. Andre Ward, he’s a sneaky guy! He wants to have it his way, always on his home field, and he’s a different fighter. He wants to ruin a fight instead of fighting. So of course Andre Ward is a great fighter. He’s a fast fighter. Froch is maybe not as fast, but he’s good mentally in the ring. He’s strong and as you saw against Glen Johnson, he’s getting stronger I think. It’s going to be a great fight and if Carl reads his homework well, I see him as the Super Six winner.
CIANI: Now you also said that you want to fight the big fights out there, and if you beat Robert Stieglitz there are going to be two directions that fans want to see you go in. They’re either going to want to see you fight Lucian Bute, or they’re going to want to see you fight the winner of the Super Six. I’m curious, which direction would you prefer to go in if you are successful against Stieglitz?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh, as I said before it’s difficult to say. I just want a big fight. Lucian Bute, it’s like he didn’t want to fight me the last we asked. So maybe if I have a belt to negotiate he might want to fight me. But still with Andre Ward I would like to have a rematch against Andre Ward. You know of course I would! I know I’m a much better fighter than he is. If I have to go against Carl (laughs), I’m also ready for that! I know it’s going to be a hard fight but I don’t doubt myself. I think I could beat them all and one of the three guys could be a possibility. Now I just have to get rid of Robert Stieglitz first, as he is a big fight too in my career.
JENNA: Now Mikkel you said that you’re a much better fighter than Andre Ward, and you had a lot of struggles in the fight you had with him. What were those struggles in general with yourself, and what would you do differently if you had that opportunity for a rematch that would allow you to be successful?
KESSLER: I don’t want to stand here and come up with bad excuses. I had a bad day, a very bad day! I wasn’t there at the fight. Everything was bad. They said I had to go in five minutes, and it took them almost an hour since I had to go out of the dressing room. Everything was not my way: the judge, the referee, everything! Everything was just very bad. My trainer couldn’t watch because of the camera man. He couldn’t tell me anything. Everything went bad. Everything over there was very bad. I had a fight against Perdomo like 60 or 50 days before the fight. I had to train too much for that fight. I thought I was there, but when I came out I wasn’t quick, I couldn’t move, my reactions were very bad, and of course I’ve seen the fight a few times and I couldn’t recognize myself at all. So that sounds like a big excuse, so of course I want a rematch to show also the American fans that that’s now who I am. You know. That’s not the fighter I am.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel, after Joe Clazaghe retired many people considered you to be the best super middleweight in the world. How much would you like to get the recognition back?
KESSLER: Oh very much, very much! (laughs) That’s why I’m still so hungry for the boxing, because I’ve been so close so many times. Two times I have defeats in my career and those, of course, are bad defeats, but I’ve been so close to show them I am the best. Of course I’ve had some fights where when I was there and nobody could beat me. So I hope everything is going to go my way the next time.
JENNA: My Co-Host brought up before about Andre Ward and Carl Froch fighting each other, and just from your view looking on the outside, do you think either of those guys has improved since they’ve been in the ring with you?
KESSLER: Yes, of course. I actually think Carl Froch has improved again when he fought Glen Johsnon. He learned a lesson from his loss. Andre Ward of course learned a lot, too. Ward’s fighting in the States all the time. He should probably learn to fight outside his country sometimes. But of course he is improving every fight, too. I hope he wants to fight Froch, and not have too many head-butts and holding. That’s not what boxing fans want to watch.
CIANI: Mikkel, looking one division north at the light heavyweight division, there is a big fight coming up in October between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson. I’m just curious if you would share your views on that fight?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh! You know what? Every time you say that Hopkins got old and that he is finished, he will be back! He’s a scary man sometimes, but I think I would say that Hopkins is a super middleweight and Chad Dawson is more of a light heavyweight physically. But I really, really don’t know what’s going to happen in that fight. If Hopkins is still as good as he was in his last fight, I would say Chad Dawson’s going to be in trouble, but I would say Chad Dawson is going to win that fight.
CIANI: Now the last time we had you on I asked if you had any plans of moving up to 175 and you said no, that 168 is your ideal weight. But if you were given an opportunity to fight a legend like Bernard Hopkins might you consider moving up or catching him at a catch weight north of 168.
KESSLER: Yes. Maybe. Of course! I would like to go down and fight Pacquiao, too! (laughs) We can meet in the middle! Of course everything is possible, always. If Hopkins wants to fight and I want to fight Hopkins, of course we can figure something out. You just have to know it in good time so you could build your body up in the weight.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel, we just have a few more questions before we let you off the line and a lot of boxing fans are talking about a recent situation that happened on the 24/7 boxing series for the fight between Mayweather and Ortiz, and Mayweather got into an argument with his father. It was very heated and people have been talking about it a lot. I’m just curious from your perspective, how negative is that for a fighter to have a lot of out of ring turmoil before a big fight?
KESSLER: That’s of course very bad. Your private matters have to be okay, because you can be a different fighter when you go out. If you have too much to think about it’s very bad for you. You have to clear everything in your private life out, whether it’s with your wife or your family. Of course everything has to be good. They have to understand you when you train, and your friends have to understand when you can’t be there for them or for your family when you’re training for a big fight. So I would say it’s very bad for a fighter to have an argument with his father. Of course.
JENNA: Alright well let’s go back to yourself for a second. With this big fight here, I need to get your official prediction. How do you see the Robert Stieglitz versus Mikkel Kessler fight going down?
KESSLER: Of course I’m going to beat him to death. (laughs) No, I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for me. He’s hungry. He’s won nine fights in a row and he wants to show the world now that he’s one of the best fighters. I just saw him in a press conference, and you know what? I think he doesn’t have the talent that I have and I think I’m going to win the fight. I always train for the twelve rounds, but if I read my homework right he should be out of there in the eighth or ninth, but of course you could always say a lot of things. I respect Robert. He’s a good fighter, but I think I’m a much better fighter.
JENNA: I have one final question Mikkel, and it involves your fans. They’ve been waiting for awhile to see you hold a belt above your head. Is there anything you want to say to them?
KESSLER: Well I’m going to be back. As they saw me the last time, even if I have injuries I’m going to be back. I’m going to be the world champion, and I want to thank all of my fans for being there and supporting me through my injury. So thank you very much, and you’re going to see me with the WBO belt soon!
JENNA: Alright! Well Mikkel, it’s been fantastic having you back on the show. We wish you all the best of luck in your fight with Robert Stieglitz.
KESSLER: Thank you very much. Take care.
CIANI: Thank you, Mikkel. Best of luck.
KESSLER: Okay, thank you man. Bye bye.
Mikkel Kessler: “I want the fans to know that I’m not afraid of Lucian Bute! Nobody wants to fight for free
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 140th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with former two-time super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs) who is scheduled to challenge WBO champion Robert Stieglitz (40-2, 23 KOs) as he attempts to become a three-time champion. Kessler spoke about his upcoming fight and also shared opinions on various other matters, including Lucian Bute, the Super Six Final between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, Bernard Hopkins versus Chad Dawson, the Mayweather family feud, and more! Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Let’s move to our second guest of this week’s show. He is the former super middleweight champion of the world. He is “The Viking Warrior”. We’re joined by Mikkel Kessler. How’s everything going today, Mikkel?
MIKKEL KESSLER: Everything is very good. It’s going forward. I feel good in my body and the training is going good.
JENNA: Well your training for an upcoming title fight against Robert Stieglitz. What do you think about your opponent?
KESSLER: Robert Stieglitz is a very tough fighter. He’s an intelligent fighter and a tough puncher. I don’t have to underestimate him. He was world champion just after the Super Six began, so I’ve got a very hard fight in front of me. Of course he’s a world champion, the WBO champion. He’s a very good fighter, but still, I know I’m better than him.
JENNA: Now are you working on anything in particular to prepare for his style?
KESSLER: Yes, of course I do but I can’t say to you guys. He will probably know. I know I got to keep him away with my long arms and my reach. He’s going to try and come in close on me and he’s going to try to put me under pressure, so I have to keep him away and use my technique.
JENNA: What things do you thing he does very well in the ring that could give you some problems?
KESSLER: Like keeping up the pressure all the time. If I let him control the fight I will have a big problem so that’s one of the things he does good. So don’t let him in the fight at all, that’s very important.
JENNA: Okay now the fight with Robert Stieglitz came together because a potential fight with Lucian Bute, for whatever reason, did not. Can you tell the fans out there a little bit about the reasons why you guys chose Robert Stieglitz instead of Lucian Bute?
KESSLER: Yes, Lucian Bute gave us an offer that was like he was saying no to fight me. That was the main problem. I was over there watching his fight and I was ready for the fight, but of course you cannot fight for free if you know what I mean. So that was a big problem about that, so I was lucky to fight Robert Stieglitz after. I am very happy about that.
JENNA: A lot of fans have debated whether or not they gave you a legit offer and some people have rumored that you were offered $3 million. Was there any truth to that?
KESSLER: (laughs) No, not at all! I wish it was true! But we were far, far away from that amount. That was a big problem. It was like he was saying no to fight me if you understand what I mean. So I want the fans to know that I’m not afraid of Lucian Bute! Nobody wants to fight for free. I’m really ready to fight for the big belt. I know I’m not a champion any more right now, and you can claim a lot money for that, so I’d be ready for less money but the offer we got was very bad.
JENNA: Alright well if you do win this fight with Robert Stieglitz you will be a champion again, and that will put you in a better negotiating position. Do you think that’s what you can obtain with this fight? That you can get a much bigger offer with Lucian Bute once you have a title of your own?
KESSLER: You know what? Right now I’m not even thinking about Lucian Bute. I would rather think about Robert Stieglitz. I want to take it one fight at a time. Robert Stieglitz is a world champion. I got to watch out if I want to be a world champion again for a third time. I’d see myself as a bigger champ than ever. So Lucian Bute I don’t think about so much. I’d rather think about the winner of the Super Six. Lucian Bute is a great fighter. I have not a bad word at all, so I’m going to be excited to watch him against Glen Johnson.
JENNA: You’re 32 years old now. How close to your prime do you think you are at this point? Do you still think you’re at your best?
KESSLER: Oh yes, of course! Of course I do! I learned to never take a fight if I don’t trust myself, if I feel like I don’t have my speed and power, and you know I still have a big feeling for boxing, and I’m ready to show the people that I can be in the Final of the Super Six and I could be the champ of the Super Six tournament. I have had the biggest fights already in the world, and I’m ready to show them I’ve had bad days. All of the fighters always have some bad days sometimes, and it’s a shame I had them in the biggest fights. I’m very ready to show my fans all over the world that I’m going to be back and I’m going to be champion again, and I’m going to show them that I am the best fighter in the world.
JENNA: Well Mikkel, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Mikkel. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show.
KESSLER: Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much.
CIANI: Mikkel, I wanted to ask you about your last fight in June against Mehdi Bouadla. That was your first fight in over a year and you had a very dominating performance. How did you feel after the long layoff?
KESSLER: I felt good because when you fight so many fights as I have in my career, I lost the year before. Of course it was because of the eye injury that I overcame. But you know what? I would be hungrier if I got the bigger fights, because I have so many fights now. So if I have to fight a guy that’s really nothing at all, then I cannot get myself up for the fight if you know what I mean. I wanted better fights than this. This is a championship fight. It’s a title fight so it’s going to be better for me. I don’t think about it that much. It’s one year off. I don’t want to have a tune-up fight. I don’t care about it. I want the best of the fighters in the world.
CIANI: Now you made reference to your eye issue a moment ago. Have there been any issues with that since you’ve returned?
KESSLER: No. It has been very good. Everything has worked very good. I actually trained a lot after the Mehdi Bouadla fight. Everything is very good and the training is going very good now, better than ever. My trainer Jim Montoya says that he’s never seen my stronger than I am now. Maybe one thing bad you could say about having a one year break is I’m been running and training a little bit, but I haven’t been on the high level. So now I’ve been on the high level for almost six months now and I can feel that in my body, so next time I’m going to be very dangerous.
CIANI: You mentioned the Super Six a little while ago, and the Final is coming up in October in a fight between two guys you have faced: Andre Ward and Carl Froch. Given the fact that you’ve been in the ring with both of these guys, how do you see that fight going down?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh, it’s a difficult fight like all the other Super Six fights. I would say that Carl Froch is a very, very strong fighter and he wants to fight with you. He wants to stand toe-to-toe and he wants to fight. I like those boxers. Andre Ward, he’s a sneaky guy! He wants to have it his way, always on his home field, and he’s a different fighter. He wants to ruin a fight instead of fighting. So of course Andre Ward is a great fighter. He’s a fast fighter. Froch is maybe not as fast, but he’s good mentally in the ring. He’s strong and as you saw against Glen Johnson, he’s getting stronger I think. It’s going to be a great fight and if Carl reads his homework well, I see him as the Super Six winner.
CIANI: Now you also said that you want to fight the big fights out there, and if you beat Robert Stieglitz there are going to be two directions that fans want to see you go in. They’re either going to want to see you fight Lucian Bute, or they’re going to want to see you fight the winner of the Super Six. I’m curious, which direction would you prefer to go in if you are successful against Stieglitz?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh, as I said before it’s difficult to say. I just want a big fight. Lucian Bute, it’s like he didn’t want to fight me the last we asked. So maybe if I have a belt to negotiate he might want to fight me. But still with Andre Ward I would like to have a rematch against Andre Ward. You know of course I would! I know I’m a much better fighter than he is. If I have to go against Carl (laughs), I’m also ready for that! I know it’s going to be a hard fight but I don’t doubt myself. I think I could beat them all and one of the three guys could be a possibility. Now I just have to get rid of Robert Stieglitz first, as he is a big fight too in my career.
JENNA: Now Mikkel you said that you’re a much better fighter than Andre Ward, and you had a lot of struggles in the fight you had with him. What were those struggles in general with yourself, and what would you do differently if you had that opportunity for a rematch that would allow you to be successful?
KESSLER: I don’t want to stand here and come up with bad excuses. I had a bad day, a very bad day! I wasn’t there at the fight. Everything was bad. They said I had to go in five minutes, and it took them almost an hour since I had to go out of the dressing room. Everything was not my way: the judge, the referee, everything! Everything was just very bad. My trainer couldn’t watch because of the camera man. He couldn’t tell me anything. Everything went bad. Everything over there was very bad. I had a fight against Perdomo like 60 or 50 days before the fight. I had to train too much for that fight. I thought I was there, but when I came out I wasn’t quick, I couldn’t move, my reactions were very bad, and of course I’ve seen the fight a few times and I couldn’t recognize myself at all. So that sounds like a big excuse, so of course I want a rematch to show also the American fans that that’s now who I am. You know. That’s not the fighter I am.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel, after Joe Clazaghe retired many people considered you to be the best super middleweight in the world. How much would you like to get the recognition back?
KESSLER: Oh very much, very much! (laughs) That’s why I’m still so hungry for the boxing, because I’ve been so close so many times. Two times I have defeats in my career and those, of course, are bad defeats, but I’ve been so close to show them I am the best. Of course I’ve had some fights where when I was there and nobody could beat me. So I hope everything is going to go my way the next time.
JENNA: My Co-Host brought up before about Andre Ward and Carl Froch fighting each other, and just from your view looking on the outside, do you think either of those guys has improved since they’ve been in the ring with you?
KESSLER: Yes, of course. I actually think Carl Froch has improved again when he fought Glen Johsnon. He learned a lesson from his loss. Andre Ward of course learned a lot, too. Ward’s fighting in the States all the time. He should probably learn to fight outside his country sometimes. But of course he is improving every fight, too. I hope he wants to fight Froch, and not have too many head-butts and holding. That’s not what boxing fans want to watch.
CIANI: Mikkel, looking one division north at the light heavyweight division, there is a big fight coming up in October between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson. I’m just curious if you would share your views on that fight?
KESSLER: (laughs) Oh! You know what? Every time you say that Hopkins got old and that he is finished, he will be back! He’s a scary man sometimes, but I think I would say that Hopkins is a super middleweight and Chad Dawson is more of a light heavyweight physically. But I really, really don’t know what’s going to happen in that fight. If Hopkins is still as good as he was in his last fight, I would say Chad Dawson’s going to be in trouble, but I would say Chad Dawson is going to win that fight.
CIANI: Now the last time we had you on I asked if you had any plans of moving up to 175 and you said no, that 168 is your ideal weight. But if you were given an opportunity to fight a legend like Bernard Hopkins might you consider moving up or catching him at a catch weight north of 168.
KESSLER: Yes. Maybe. Of course! I would like to go down and fight Pacquiao, too! (laughs) We can meet in the middle! Of course everything is possible, always. If Hopkins wants to fight and I want to fight Hopkins, of course we can figure something out. You just have to know it in good time so you could build your body up in the weight.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel, we just have a few more questions before we let you off the line and a lot of boxing fans are talking about a recent situation that happened on the 24/7 boxing series for the fight between Mayweather and Ortiz, and Mayweather got into an argument with his father. It was very heated and people have been talking about it a lot. I’m just curious from your perspective, how negative is that for a fighter to have a lot of out of ring turmoil before a big fight?
KESSLER: That’s of course very bad. Your private matters have to be okay, because you can be a different fighter when you go out. If you have too much to think about it’s very bad for you. You have to clear everything in your private life out, whether it’s with your wife or your family. Of course everything has to be good. They have to understand you when you train, and your friends have to understand when you can’t be there for them or for your family when you’re training for a big fight. So I would say it’s very bad for a fighter to have an argument with his father. Of course.
JENNA: Alright well let’s go back to yourself for a second. With this big fight here, I need to get your official prediction. How do you see the Robert Stieglitz versus Mikkel Kessler fight going down?
KESSLER: Of course I’m going to beat him to death. (laughs) No, I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for me. He’s hungry. He’s won nine fights in a row and he wants to show the world now that he’s one of the best fighters. I just saw him in a press conference, and you know what? I think he doesn’t have the talent that I have and I think I’m going to win the fight. I always train for the twelve rounds, but if I read my homework right he should be out of there in the eighth or ninth, but of course you could always say a lot of things. I respect Robert. He’s a good fighter, but I think I’m a much better fighter.
JENNA: I have one final question Mikkel, and it involves your fans. They’ve been waiting for awhile to see you hold a belt above your head. Is there anything you want to say to them?
KESSLER: Well I’m going to be back. As they saw me the last time, even if I have injuries I’m going to be back. I’m going to be the world champion, and I want to thank all of my fans for being there and supporting me through my injury. So thank you very much, and you’re going to see me with the WBO belt soon!
JENNA: Alright! Well Mikkel, it’s been fantastic having you back on the show. We wish you all the best of luck in your fight with Robert Stieglitz.
KESSLER: Thank you very much. Take care.
CIANI: Thank you, Mikkel. Best of luck.
KESSLER: Okay, thank you man. Bye bye.
interesting.
James Toney vs Denis Lebedev. Nov 5th, in Moscow, Russia
Can James Toney make the Cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds? I saw a recent picture of him and he looked a lot more fit (with a Kimbo-ish beard).
Lebedev, for those that forget the name, is the guy who just recently brutally KO'd Roy Jones. I guess he's on a quest of killing shot fighters. Toney though I could see giving him a lot more problems than Roy as he's not as shot as Jones. Still shot though.
James Toney vs Denis Lebedev. Nov 5th, in Moscow, Russia
Can James Toney make the Cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds? I saw a recent picture of him and he looked a lot more fit (with a Kimbo-ish beard).
Lebedev, for those that forget the name, is the guy who just recently brutally KO'd Roy Jones. I guess he's on a quest of killing shot fighters. Toney though I could see giving him a lot more problems than Roy as he's not as shot as Jones. Still shot though.
Khan looking to fight Lamont Peterson on December 10th instead of Mattysse, Maidana
By William Mackay: Just as many boxing fans expected, IBF/WBA Super World light welterweight champion Amir Khan is reportedly in negotiations to put together a fight against his International Boxing Federation mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO’s) on December 10th instead of taking on the much more dangerous Breidis Prescott, who already knocked Khan out, or the powerful Lucas Matthysse and Marcos Maidana.
Khan had been hoping to fight the fading 35-year-old Erik Morales on December 10th, but Morales said no to that idea, leaving Khan with only option in terms of facing a weak puncher for the December fight. The options for Khan are as follows: Marcos Maidana, Prescott, and Matthysse.
Paul McCloskey will lose to Prescott Saturday night, so he’s not an option unless Khan wants to fight a guy that he just beat. Matthysse, Maidana and Prescott and call punch very hard, and this is why a lot of boxing fans saw Khan avoiding those guys and taking on the slapper Peterson, who has no power. Peterson is the safe fight, while the other guys are dangerous ones.
The fight against the soft hitting Peterson will be Khan’s last fight at 140. Following that, Khan will move up to the welterweight division, take on an easy target in his first fight, someone like 40-year-old Shane Mosley, and then campaign hard for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. money fight. It’s not the ideal way to get a Mayweather fight, but it is the safe route.
If Khan had to fight a good light welterweight in his last fight that could punch, there would be a high possibility he’d get knocked out and that would ruin his Mayweather payday. The same goes for his first fight at welterweight. Khan likely won’t take on a fighter that can beat him. It’s probably going to be an old lion like Mosley or a welterweight without much power.
Khan had been talking about wanting to capture one more strap before he left the light welterweight division. He wanted the WBC belt that Morales and Matthysse are fighting for. However, with Matthysse likely to win that fight, and Morales already saying no, Khan’s interest in going after the WBC belt has gone disappeared.
By William Mackay: Just as many boxing fans expected, IBF/WBA Super World light welterweight champion Amir Khan is reportedly in negotiations to put together a fight against his International Boxing Federation mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO’s) on December 10th instead of taking on the much more dangerous Breidis Prescott, who already knocked Khan out, or the powerful Lucas Matthysse and Marcos Maidana.
Khan had been hoping to fight the fading 35-year-old Erik Morales on December 10th, but Morales said no to that idea, leaving Khan with only option in terms of facing a weak puncher for the December fight. The options for Khan are as follows: Marcos Maidana, Prescott, and Matthysse.
Paul McCloskey will lose to Prescott Saturday night, so he’s not an option unless Khan wants to fight a guy that he just beat. Matthysse, Maidana and Prescott and call punch very hard, and this is why a lot of boxing fans saw Khan avoiding those guys and taking on the slapper Peterson, who has no power. Peterson is the safe fight, while the other guys are dangerous ones.
The fight against the soft hitting Peterson will be Khan’s last fight at 140. Following that, Khan will move up to the welterweight division, take on an easy target in his first fight, someone like 40-year-old Shane Mosley, and then campaign hard for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. money fight. It’s not the ideal way to get a Mayweather fight, but it is the safe route.
If Khan had to fight a good light welterweight in his last fight that could punch, there would be a high possibility he’d get knocked out and that would ruin his Mayweather payday. The same goes for his first fight at welterweight. Khan likely won’t take on a fighter that can beat him. It’s probably going to be an old lion like Mosley or a welterweight without much power.
Khan had been talking about wanting to capture one more strap before he left the light welterweight division. He wanted the WBC belt that Morales and Matthysse are fighting for. However, with Matthysse likely to win that fight, and Morales already saying no, Khan’s interest in going after the WBC belt has gone disappeared.
David Haye’s retirement decision only one month away
By William Mackay: Former two division world champion David Haye (25-2, 23 KO’s) should be making a decision next month as to whether or not he’ll continue fighting or retire from boxing. Haye, 30, has said previously that he wouldn’t fight beyond his 31st birthday, as he wants to get out of the sport while he’s till young with his mental faculties intact.
In five weeks on October 13th, Haye will turn 31-years-old, and he’s expected to make a decision on or before that date about whether he’ll carry on and continue fighting. Haye was badly humiliated in his last fight against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko last July, losing by a 12 round decision.
The loss was bad enough, as Haye had bragged incessantly that he would knock Wladimir without any problems. However, after getting completely dominated by Wladimir, Haye pulled off his right shoe and announced that he had taken the fight with a broken right baby toe. Haye blamed the loss in part to the broken toe, saying that it prevented him from driving off of the leg.
With the exception of Haye’s loyal fan base, the boxing fans as a whole didn’t buy the excuse and said Haye as unwilling to accept his defeat and give Wladimir the credit that he deserved for beating him. Haye then asked for an immediate rematch with Wladimir, and said he would retire if he didn’t get the rematch. Wladimir suggested that Haye fight his brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko or one or two other guys to try and redeem himself.
However, Haye wants no part of a fight against Vitali, saying he has “No beef” with the older Klitschko brother. To some boxing fans, it looks as if Haye is afraid of facing Vitali, and just wants one more payday that he doesn’t have to work for against Wladimir before cashing out and retiring from the sport. The problem is that Haye is making it difficult for Wladimir because he’ll take heat if he fights Haye again if Haye is unwilling to fight anyone else in between to show that he’s improved on the mistakes that he made in the Wladimmir fight.
My guess is Haye will slink away into the sunset and retire rather than face the needed one or two fighters to get a rematch with Wladimir. Haye doesn’t want the Vitali fight, doesn’t want to fight anyone else but Wladimir, and that’s going to make it impossible for him to get a rematch. Haye will disappear and be forgotten.
By William Mackay: Former two division world champion David Haye (25-2, 23 KO’s) should be making a decision next month as to whether or not he’ll continue fighting or retire from boxing. Haye, 30, has said previously that he wouldn’t fight beyond his 31st birthday, as he wants to get out of the sport while he’s till young with his mental faculties intact.
In five weeks on October 13th, Haye will turn 31-years-old, and he’s expected to make a decision on or before that date about whether he’ll carry on and continue fighting. Haye was badly humiliated in his last fight against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko last July, losing by a 12 round decision.
The loss was bad enough, as Haye had bragged incessantly that he would knock Wladimir without any problems. However, after getting completely dominated by Wladimir, Haye pulled off his right shoe and announced that he had taken the fight with a broken right baby toe. Haye blamed the loss in part to the broken toe, saying that it prevented him from driving off of the leg.
With the exception of Haye’s loyal fan base, the boxing fans as a whole didn’t buy the excuse and said Haye as unwilling to accept his defeat and give Wladimir the credit that he deserved for beating him. Haye then asked for an immediate rematch with Wladimir, and said he would retire if he didn’t get the rematch. Wladimir suggested that Haye fight his brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko or one or two other guys to try and redeem himself.
However, Haye wants no part of a fight against Vitali, saying he has “No beef” with the older Klitschko brother. To some boxing fans, it looks as if Haye is afraid of facing Vitali, and just wants one more payday that he doesn’t have to work for against Wladimir before cashing out and retiring from the sport. The problem is that Haye is making it difficult for Wladimir because he’ll take heat if he fights Haye again if Haye is unwilling to fight anyone else in between to show that he’s improved on the mistakes that he made in the Wladimmir fight.
My guess is Haye will slink away into the sunset and retire rather than face the needed one or two fighters to get a rematch with Wladimir. Haye doesn’t want the Vitali fight, doesn’t want to fight anyone else but Wladimir, and that’s going to make it impossible for him to get a rematch. Haye will disappear and be forgotten.
