Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
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I wounder how serious this is
Sergio Martinez on Pacquiao/Mayweather: "There are negotiations and they're very advanced."
The truth is that there are negotiations and they're very advanced regarding the possible future fight for me. And there's talk that it'll be between March and May. I tell you, if it's not Mayweather, it's Pacquiao. They're already talking very seriously. If they inform me, it's because the news is very concrete. So I think things are going well.
Sergio Martinez on Pacquiao/Mayweather: "There are negotiations and they're very advanced."
The truth is that there are negotiations and they're very advanced regarding the possible future fight for me. And there's talk that it'll be between March and May. I tell you, if it's not Mayweather, it's Pacquiao. They're already talking very seriously. If they inform me, it's because the news is very concrete. So I think things are going well.
Roy Jones Junior Not Done Yet, Tells Of Plans To Fight Again At Cruiserweight On Dec.
By James Slater: As with fellow modern day legends Evander Holyfield and James Toney, the once untouchable Roy Jones Junior is a fighter who cannot walk away. This despite the fact that the 42-year-old has been painfully KO’d a number of times in recent years.
The last time, against Denis Lebedev in May of this year, Jones Jr was damn near seriously hurt after being pole-axed to the mat in the 10th and final round. Final round? That three minutes sure should have been the last round in the career of the once masterful Jones, but he has spoken recently of his plans to box again.
Speaking with Brad Cooney of examiner.com, the former middleweight, super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight ruler said he has a planned December 10th fight in the works, against Max Alexander. Reportedly, Jones, 54-8(40) is close to signing for the fight which would take place in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fans will surely be asking “why?” but it’s Jones’ call and he, like another stubborn old warrior in Holyfield, is deaf to the pleas from the fans who worry about his health. But who is Max Alexander?
The 30-year-old from Camden, New Jersey has a reasonable pro record at 14-5-2(2), but he is coming off three straight losses and the best he could manage from his last six was a draw. Not a big puncher with those 2 KO’s, Alexander is usually durable, having never officially been stopped (his 2006 loss to Marty Lindquist was originally a 1st-round KO defeat, later changed to a No-Contest due to Lindquist failing a drugs test). And the 6’2” former super-middleweight has been in with some good names.
A former “Contender” participant back in 2007, Alexander lost decisions to Sam Soliman and then Bryan Vera. A 2008 move up to cruiserweight brought little success, with a draw Vs. Rob Calloway and then losses to Ali Ismailov, Alexander Alexeev and, last time out, back in October of 2009, Moyoyo Mensah. So, Jones Junior will, if the fight happens, be facing a rusty journeyman who has never before met anybody approaching his class. But how much does Jones have left?
What a win over Alexander would lead to for Jones is not clear, but this time he is opting to go in with a relative non-puncher. Jones should be able to outbox his man and win a comfortable decision. We can only hope, however, that the former superstar will then feel content enough to away from the sport off a win. In reality, a victorious Jones will almost surely pursue another big fight.
somebody needs to stop roy before he dies in the ring I know it's someone that can talk some sense into him
By James Slater: As with fellow modern day legends Evander Holyfield and James Toney, the once untouchable Roy Jones Junior is a fighter who cannot walk away. This despite the fact that the 42-year-old has been painfully KO’d a number of times in recent years.
The last time, against Denis Lebedev in May of this year, Jones Jr was damn near seriously hurt after being pole-axed to the mat in the 10th and final round. Final round? That three minutes sure should have been the last round in the career of the once masterful Jones, but he has spoken recently of his plans to box again.
Speaking with Brad Cooney of examiner.com, the former middleweight, super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight ruler said he has a planned December 10th fight in the works, against Max Alexander. Reportedly, Jones, 54-8(40) is close to signing for the fight which would take place in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fans will surely be asking “why?” but it’s Jones’ call and he, like another stubborn old warrior in Holyfield, is deaf to the pleas from the fans who worry about his health. But who is Max Alexander?
The 30-year-old from Camden, New Jersey has a reasonable pro record at 14-5-2(2), but he is coming off three straight losses and the best he could manage from his last six was a draw. Not a big puncher with those 2 KO’s, Alexander is usually durable, having never officially been stopped (his 2006 loss to Marty Lindquist was originally a 1st-round KO defeat, later changed to a No-Contest due to Lindquist failing a drugs test). And the 6’2” former super-middleweight has been in with some good names.
A former “Contender” participant back in 2007, Alexander lost decisions to Sam Soliman and then Bryan Vera. A 2008 move up to cruiserweight brought little success, with a draw Vs. Rob Calloway and then losses to Ali Ismailov, Alexander Alexeev and, last time out, back in October of 2009, Moyoyo Mensah. So, Jones Junior will, if the fight happens, be facing a rusty journeyman who has never before met anybody approaching his class. But how much does Jones have left?
What a win over Alexander would lead to for Jones is not clear, but this time he is opting to go in with a relative non-puncher. Jones should be able to outbox his man and win a comfortable decision. We can only hope, however, that the former superstar will then feel content enough to away from the sport off a win. In reality, a victorious Jones will almost surely pursue another big fight.
somebody needs to stop roy before he dies in the ring I know it's someone that can talk some sense into him
Mayweather-Ortiz only 850,000 PPV buys
By Dan Ambrose: The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz last month was supposed to have brought in huge numbers on pay per view, according to their promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions.
Schaefer predicted the fight would bring in between 1.4 million to 1.7 million PPV buys. However, Steve Kim is reporting that the Mayweather-Ortiz fight brought in only 850,000 PPV buys, which is rather sad given the popularity of Mayweather and all the hype and marketing that went into the Mayweather-Ortiz fight. HBO put together one of their 24/7 series for this fight, and it was advertised constantly on cable. If 850,000 is the best it brought in with all that marketing than it is truly sad.
Kim said this on his twitter: “I’ve heard as low as 850,000. Still no PPV figures released for the Mayweather-Ortiz yet, which is very telling.”
This isn’t good, is it? If all Mayweather vs. Ortiz brought in was a paltry 850,000 for this fight, it’s going to put Mayweather in a bad bargaining position with Manny Pacquiao, if he ever decides to fight him. With the exception of his fight against Joshua Clottey last year, which brought in only 700,000 PPV buys, Pacquiao has been selling over 1 million PPV buys for each of his fights since then.
It will be hard for Mayweather to ask for equal footing in the bargaining table if he’s bringing in low figures like that against a fighter as well known as Ortiz is with the casual boxing fans. It could be the economy in addition to the high price of the Mayweather-Ortiz card scared away a lot of boxing fans from buying the fight. Or it could be they just saw it as a hopeless mismatch and figured Ortiz didn’t have a chance and why pay to see a mismatch?
By Dan Ambrose: The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz last month was supposed to have brought in huge numbers on pay per view, according to their promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions.
Schaefer predicted the fight would bring in between 1.4 million to 1.7 million PPV buys. However, Steve Kim is reporting that the Mayweather-Ortiz fight brought in only 850,000 PPV buys, which is rather sad given the popularity of Mayweather and all the hype and marketing that went into the Mayweather-Ortiz fight. HBO put together one of their 24/7 series for this fight, and it was advertised constantly on cable. If 850,000 is the best it brought in with all that marketing than it is truly sad.
Kim said this on his twitter: “I’ve heard as low as 850,000. Still no PPV figures released for the Mayweather-Ortiz yet, which is very telling.”
This isn’t good, is it? If all Mayweather vs. Ortiz brought in was a paltry 850,000 for this fight, it’s going to put Mayweather in a bad bargaining position with Manny Pacquiao, if he ever decides to fight him. With the exception of his fight against Joshua Clottey last year, which brought in only 700,000 PPV buys, Pacquiao has been selling over 1 million PPV buys for each of his fights since then.
It will be hard for Mayweather to ask for equal footing in the bargaining table if he’s bringing in low figures like that against a fighter as well known as Ortiz is with the casual boxing fans. It could be the economy in addition to the high price of the Mayweather-Ortiz card scared away a lot of boxing fans from buying the fight. Or it could be they just saw it as a hopeless mismatch and figured Ortiz didn’t have a chance and why pay to see a mismatch?
Roach: Someone from Manny’s camp asked me not to let Khan spar with Pacquiao
By Dan Ambrose: Freddie Roach, the trainer for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, says that someone from Pacquiao’s camp told him not to let IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan spar with Pacquiao recently. Roach didn’t say who that person is, but you have to guess it’s someone really high up on the totem pole for Roach to give in on this request. This tells you one thing.
Khan is now being considered by Pacquiao’s management as a future opponent for Pacquiao.
Here’s what Roach said in an youtube interview: “Manny’s running out of opponents. Manny vs. Amir would sell. Somebody asked me not to let them spar for that reason.”
There it is. Pacquiao is running out of opponents for him to fight, and it looks like Pacquiao and Khan may have to set aside their friendship to make this fight happen. Khan had previously said he would never fight his buddy Pacquiao, but recently he had a change of mind, saying if he has to do it to get a big fight he would be open to it.
With Pacquiao unable to acquire a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. because of one reason or another, Khan may be the best bet for Pacquiao to get a huge payday. Other than Khan and Mayweather, there really isn’t anyone else out there for Pacquiao to get a big payday against anymore. He’s already exhausted all the top fighters at welterweight with the exception of Mayweather, who Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum hasn’t been able to sign for a fight.
Obviously Pacquiao’s management doesn’t want to let Khan pick up anything more from sparring with Pacquiao so that he could use this to beat Pacquiao in a fight in 2012. Khan already has given Pacquiao a lot of problems in their sparring session and seems to have already learned Pacquiao’s tendencies and weaknesses. It could be too late for Pacquiao’s camp, because there’s already been too many sparring sessions between them. Khan now knows Pacquiao backwards and forwards and probably has a pretty good idea how to beat him.
Roach was smiling from ear to ear when questioned about a possibility for a Khan-Pacquiao fight. Roach trains both fighters and would obviously be in Pacquiao’s corner for the fight. Roach seems to like the idea of the two fighting judging by how animated he was when asked about the possibility of Khan and Pacquiao fighting.
Pacquiao is currently getting ready for his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada. For his part, Khan faces his number #1 IBF challenger Lamont Peterson on December 10th in Washinton, DC.
By Dan Ambrose: Freddie Roach, the trainer for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, says that someone from Pacquiao’s camp told him not to let IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan spar with Pacquiao recently. Roach didn’t say who that person is, but you have to guess it’s someone really high up on the totem pole for Roach to give in on this request. This tells you one thing.
Khan is now being considered by Pacquiao’s management as a future opponent for Pacquiao.
Here’s what Roach said in an youtube interview: “Manny’s running out of opponents. Manny vs. Amir would sell. Somebody asked me not to let them spar for that reason.”
There it is. Pacquiao is running out of opponents for him to fight, and it looks like Pacquiao and Khan may have to set aside their friendship to make this fight happen. Khan had previously said he would never fight his buddy Pacquiao, but recently he had a change of mind, saying if he has to do it to get a big fight he would be open to it.
With Pacquiao unable to acquire a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. because of one reason or another, Khan may be the best bet for Pacquiao to get a huge payday. Other than Khan and Mayweather, there really isn’t anyone else out there for Pacquiao to get a big payday against anymore. He’s already exhausted all the top fighters at welterweight with the exception of Mayweather, who Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum hasn’t been able to sign for a fight.
Obviously Pacquiao’s management doesn’t want to let Khan pick up anything more from sparring with Pacquiao so that he could use this to beat Pacquiao in a fight in 2012. Khan already has given Pacquiao a lot of problems in their sparring session and seems to have already learned Pacquiao’s tendencies and weaknesses. It could be too late for Pacquiao’s camp, because there’s already been too many sparring sessions between them. Khan now knows Pacquiao backwards and forwards and probably has a pretty good idea how to beat him.
Roach was smiling from ear to ear when questioned about a possibility for a Khan-Pacquiao fight. Roach trains both fighters and would obviously be in Pacquiao’s corner for the fight. Roach seems to like the idea of the two fighting judging by how animated he was when asked about the possibility of Khan and Pacquiao fighting.
Pacquiao is currently getting ready for his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada. For his part, Khan faces his number #1 IBF challenger Lamont Peterson on December 10th in Washinton, DC.
Rober Garcia speaking on his fighters Nonito Donaire, Margarito, Brandon Rios and a number of topics
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content10952.html?PHPSESSID=a19e6c43729f24f8c0c638c40dfdc14f
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content10952.html?PHPSESSID=a19e6c43729f24f8c0c638c40dfdc14f
I don't want to hear any excuses from Sergio!!!
Sergio Martinez Offered Record Purse For Dmitry Pirog
By Yuri Tarantin (Allboxing.ru) and Alexey Sukachev
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs), who is unanimously recognized as the best middleweight on the planet, has been offered a substantial amount of money to fight WBO champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15 KOs) in Moscow, Russia, in February 2012, according to sources who spoke with BoxingScene.com/Allboxing.ru.
Martinez, holder of the WBC Diamond title and a conqueror of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Sergey Dzinziruk and Darren Barker, is being approached by Pirog’s leading Russian promoter Kirill Pchelnikov, his partner German Titov and Artie Pellulo of Banner Promotions.
According to Titov, Martinez is being offered such a sum, it considerably outbids all of his previous earnings, including the amounts he received from HBO.
“If they reject the fight, it will not be because of the financial aspect. The money is here”, commented Titov. Pirog’s handlers are presently awaiting a response from Martinez's promoter Lou Dibella.
Sergio Martinez Offered Record Purse For Dmitry Pirog
By Yuri Tarantin (Allboxing.ru) and Alexey Sukachev
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs), who is unanimously recognized as the best middleweight on the planet, has been offered a substantial amount of money to fight WBO champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15 KOs) in Moscow, Russia, in February 2012, according to sources who spoke with BoxingScene.com/Allboxing.ru.
Martinez, holder of the WBC Diamond title and a conqueror of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Sergey Dzinziruk and Darren Barker, is being approached by Pirog’s leading Russian promoter Kirill Pchelnikov, his partner German Titov and Artie Pellulo of Banner Promotions.
According to Titov, Martinez is being offered such a sum, it considerably outbids all of his previous earnings, including the amounts he received from HBO.
“If they reject the fight, it will not be because of the financial aspect. The money is here”, commented Titov. Pirog’s handlers are presently awaiting a response from Martinez's promoter Lou Dibella.
so martinez can fight Andy Lee, Macklin or Rubio then. For less money. But he can fight them in his home country of America though right? ahh, wait this isn't his home country. hmm. tough choice!
Pirog also has offered to fight Martinez in america too though, it's just that it will be 100% HBO money. If they fight in Russia there are other investors besides HBO that would put up millions of dollars, thus the record payday.
So he could fight Pirog in America for I'm guessing $1.5-$2.5 million dollars, somewhere around there, or fight Pirog in Russia for well over $3 million. His choice. Or Andy Lee for about a mil.
Pirog = belt + more money
Ande Lee = scrub, less money
Pirog also has offered to fight Martinez in america too though, it's just that it will be 100% HBO money. If they fight in Russia there are other investors besides HBO that would put up millions of dollars, thus the record payday.
So he could fight Pirog in America for I'm guessing $1.5-$2.5 million dollars, somewhere around there, or fight Pirog in Russia for well over $3 million. His choice. Or Andy Lee for about a mil.
Pirog = belt + more money
Ande Lee = scrub, less money
damn, he's really going out like that? smh
British star David Haye retires
DAVID HAYE has quit boxing after handing in his fight licence.
The former world heavyweight champ is 31 on Thursday and always insisted he would not continue past his birthday. British Boxing Board of Control secretary Robert Smith confirmed: "I received an email on Monday advising me Haye would not be carrying on.
"The Board will discuss it on Wednesday but there is no way we could go against his wish not to renew his boxing licence. Without it, he can't fight."
Haye has already stepped down as a boxing promoter, with supermiddleweight George Groves switching to SunSport's Frank Warren.
The Haye-maker's last fight in July ended in bitter disappointment when he lost his WBA crown to Wladimir Klitschko.
Critics laid into the Londoner for a timid display but it later emerged he needed pain-killing injections before the bout for an infected toe and could not move properly.
Haye's plan was to beat Wladimir and fight his big brother Vitali to unite the heavyweight division.
But unless there is a major shift in his attitude that will never happen.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/boxing/3864500/British-star-David-Haye-quits-boxing.html
British star David Haye retires
DAVID HAYE has quit boxing after handing in his fight licence.
The former world heavyweight champ is 31 on Thursday and always insisted he would not continue past his birthday. British Boxing Board of Control secretary Robert Smith confirmed: "I received an email on Monday advising me Haye would not be carrying on.
"The Board will discuss it on Wednesday but there is no way we could go against his wish not to renew his boxing licence. Without it, he can't fight."
Haye has already stepped down as a boxing promoter, with supermiddleweight George Groves switching to SunSport's Frank Warren.
The Haye-maker's last fight in July ended in bitter disappointment when he lost his WBA crown to Wladimir Klitschko.
Critics laid into the Londoner for a timid display but it later emerged he needed pain-killing injections before the bout for an infected toe and could not move properly.
Haye's plan was to beat Wladimir and fight his big brother Vitali to unite the heavyweight division.
But unless there is a major shift in his attitude that will never happen.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/boxing/3864500/British-star-David-Haye-quits-boxing.html
I don't want to hear any excuses from Sergio!!!
Sergio Martinez Offered Record Purse For Dmitry Pirog
By Yuri Tarantin (Allboxing.ru) and Alexey Sukachev
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs), who is unanimously recognized as the best middleweight on the planet, has been offered a substantial amount of money to fight WBO champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15 KOs) in Moscow, Russia, in February 2012, according to sources who spoke with BoxingScene.com/Allboxing.ru.
Martinez, holder of the WBC Diamond title and a conqueror of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Sergey Dzinziruk and Darren Barker, is being approached by Pirog’s leading Russian promoter Kirill Pchelnikov, his partner German Titov and Artie Pellulo of Banner Promotions.
According to Titov, Martinez is being offered such a sum, it considerably outbids all of his previous earnings, including the amounts he received from HBO.
“If they reject the fight, it will not be because of the financial aspect. The money is here”, commented Titov. Pirog’s handlers are presently awaiting a response from Martinez's promoter Lou Dibella.
Sergio Martinez Offered Record Purse For Dmitry Pirog
By Yuri Tarantin (Allboxing.ru) and Alexey Sukachev
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs), who is unanimously recognized as the best middleweight on the planet, has been offered a substantial amount of money to fight WBO champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15 KOs) in Moscow, Russia, in February 2012, according to sources who spoke with BoxingScene.com/Allboxing.ru.
Martinez, holder of the WBC Diamond title and a conqueror of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Sergey Dzinziruk and Darren Barker, is being approached by Pirog’s leading Russian promoter Kirill Pchelnikov, his partner German Titov and Artie Pellulo of Banner Promotions.
According to Titov, Martinez is being offered such a sum, it considerably outbids all of his previous earnings, including the amounts he received from HBO.
“If they reject the fight, it will not be because of the financial aspect. The money is here”, commented Titov. Pirog’s handlers are presently awaiting a response from Martinez's promoter Lou Dibella.
It’s Official: David Haye Has Retired
By James Slater: Any and all speculation as to whether or not David Haye will stick to his plan of retiring at the age of 30 must now end. It has been reported on a number of web sites and in a number of publications how the former unified cruiserweight champion and former WBA heavyweight champion has e-mailed BBB of C head Robert Smith, informing him not to renew his licence to box.
“I received an e-mail on Monday advising me Haye would not be carrying on,” Smith said. “The Board will discuss it on Wednesday but there is no way we could go against his wish not to renew his boxing licence. Without it, he can’t fight.”
So, Haye stuck to his promise of quitting the game before he reached the age of 31 after all. Many good judges said he would not do this, that he was simply playing games in the hope of a lucrative offer coming from Vitali Klitschko. Maybe if the reigning WBC king had offered Haye a fight, the retirement would have been put on a temporary hold, but seeing as how Haye and his team have not heard a word from Klitschko, the Londoner’s gloves are set to be hung up for good.
Of course, there is a chance that, in, say, a year or two from now, Haye will feel the urge to fight again (and maybe need the money, as so many other retirees have) and maybe he will make a comeback. As was the case with the smart Lennox Lewis, this retirement has the look of a permanent one, though.
The question is: how will Haye be remembered and what is his place in boxing history?
There is no doubt that Haye achieved plenty in the sport, even if he did promise more than he actually achieved. “The Hayemaker” was being referred to as “the saviour of the heavyweight division” by some notable scribes a few years back (around the time of his wins over Enzo Maccarinelli at cruiser and Monte Barrett up at heavy), and he himself promised he’d wipe out both “boring” Klitschkos and provide the fans with the type of action they saw in years gone by. As we know, Haye fought just one Kitschko - Wladimir - and his challenge was very disappointing, with the Londoner losing via lopsided decision.
But enough of the bad: what about the good things Haye did whilst active in boxing?
A superb amateur who won a number of trophies and medals, Haye quickly rose to prominence in the pro ranks. Making his paid debut as a 191-pounder back in December of 2002, Haye romped to a straight 10 wins, all by stoppage. Then came his learning experience at the hands of the worldly and teak-tough Carl Thompson. The 5th-round TKO Haye suffered in September of 2004 taught him that not every rival can be blown away in quick time.
Haye regrouped and continued his 200-pound campaign. Though he had to “boil down” to make the cruiserweight limit, especially after he hit his mid-20s in 2006, Haye was determined to become world champion in two weights: cruiser and then heavy.
After some good, character building wins at European title level (fine wins over the likes of Lasse Johansen and Giacobbe Fragomeni - with a quick heavyweight win over Tomasz Bonin thrown in), Haye successfully challenged defending WBC/WBA king Jean Marc Mormeck. Travelling to the champ’s Paris backyard, Haye, scoring THE win of his entire pro career, rose from a 4th-round knockdown to halt Mormeck in the 7th. The win immediately stood out as one of the best scored by a Brit abroad.
Blasting out hard-hitting Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli the following year and picking up the WBO belt with his two-round win, Haye then invaded the heavyweight ranks full-time. Unfortunately, just five more fights materialised.
Haye had some rocky moments in taking out New York’s Monte Barrett, then began calling out and insulting the Klitsckos (Wladimir mostly); before a deal was signed with “Dr. Steel Hammer.” As fans will recall, the June 2009 fight fell apart with just days to go due to a back injury suffered by Haye.
Deciding to go another route without telling anyone, Haye signed a backdoor deal to fight reigning WBA heavyweight champ Nicolai Valuev. The fight captured the attention of millions of people in Britain, the David Vs Goliath clash proving fascinating. Haye won a largely dull 12-round decision; the sole highlight being the rubber-legged dance Valuev was made to take in the final round.
Now a big player in the sport’s ultimate weight class, Haye saw off his mandatory in former champ John Ruiz (TKO 9) and then cashed in with a forgettable and embarrassingly easy win over fellow trash-talker Audley Harrison. Then the Klitschko negotiations began again for real and finally, after years of waiting, Haye and Wladimir met in the ring in Germany.
Sadly, another disappointment followed. Haye, never once going for broke, instead boxed an ultra-cautious fight, losing most of the rounds as he did so. A later broken toe excuse only added further hurt to Haye’s credibility.
And then - nothing. Apart from more talk. Until today, that is; with the news breaking that Haye is all set for retirement. A sense of what might have been will forever be attached to Haye due to his decision not to fight on. After all, 30/31 is an awful young age for a heavyweight to retire at.
What odds Haye does make a return in 2012 or 2013!?!
By James Slater: Any and all speculation as to whether or not David Haye will stick to his plan of retiring at the age of 30 must now end. It has been reported on a number of web sites and in a number of publications how the former unified cruiserweight champion and former WBA heavyweight champion has e-mailed BBB of C head Robert Smith, informing him not to renew his licence to box.
“I received an e-mail on Monday advising me Haye would not be carrying on,” Smith said. “The Board will discuss it on Wednesday but there is no way we could go against his wish not to renew his boxing licence. Without it, he can’t fight.”
So, Haye stuck to his promise of quitting the game before he reached the age of 31 after all. Many good judges said he would not do this, that he was simply playing games in the hope of a lucrative offer coming from Vitali Klitschko. Maybe if the reigning WBC king had offered Haye a fight, the retirement would have been put on a temporary hold, but seeing as how Haye and his team have not heard a word from Klitschko, the Londoner’s gloves are set to be hung up for good.
Of course, there is a chance that, in, say, a year or two from now, Haye will feel the urge to fight again (and maybe need the money, as so many other retirees have) and maybe he will make a comeback. As was the case with the smart Lennox Lewis, this retirement has the look of a permanent one, though.
The question is: how will Haye be remembered and what is his place in boxing history?
There is no doubt that Haye achieved plenty in the sport, even if he did promise more than he actually achieved. “The Hayemaker” was being referred to as “the saviour of the heavyweight division” by some notable scribes a few years back (around the time of his wins over Enzo Maccarinelli at cruiser and Monte Barrett up at heavy), and he himself promised he’d wipe out both “boring” Klitschkos and provide the fans with the type of action they saw in years gone by. As we know, Haye fought just one Kitschko - Wladimir - and his challenge was very disappointing, with the Londoner losing via lopsided decision.
But enough of the bad: what about the good things Haye did whilst active in boxing?
A superb amateur who won a number of trophies and medals, Haye quickly rose to prominence in the pro ranks. Making his paid debut as a 191-pounder back in December of 2002, Haye romped to a straight 10 wins, all by stoppage. Then came his learning experience at the hands of the worldly and teak-tough Carl Thompson. The 5th-round TKO Haye suffered in September of 2004 taught him that not every rival can be blown away in quick time.
Haye regrouped and continued his 200-pound campaign. Though he had to “boil down” to make the cruiserweight limit, especially after he hit his mid-20s in 2006, Haye was determined to become world champion in two weights: cruiser and then heavy.
After some good, character building wins at European title level (fine wins over the likes of Lasse Johansen and Giacobbe Fragomeni - with a quick heavyweight win over Tomasz Bonin thrown in), Haye successfully challenged defending WBC/WBA king Jean Marc Mormeck. Travelling to the champ’s Paris backyard, Haye, scoring THE win of his entire pro career, rose from a 4th-round knockdown to halt Mormeck in the 7th. The win immediately stood out as one of the best scored by a Brit abroad.
Blasting out hard-hitting Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli the following year and picking up the WBO belt with his two-round win, Haye then invaded the heavyweight ranks full-time. Unfortunately, just five more fights materialised.
Haye had some rocky moments in taking out New York’s Monte Barrett, then began calling out and insulting the Klitsckos (Wladimir mostly); before a deal was signed with “Dr. Steel Hammer.” As fans will recall, the June 2009 fight fell apart with just days to go due to a back injury suffered by Haye.
Deciding to go another route without telling anyone, Haye signed a backdoor deal to fight reigning WBA heavyweight champ Nicolai Valuev. The fight captured the attention of millions of people in Britain, the David Vs Goliath clash proving fascinating. Haye won a largely dull 12-round decision; the sole highlight being the rubber-legged dance Valuev was made to take in the final round.
Now a big player in the sport’s ultimate weight class, Haye saw off his mandatory in former champ John Ruiz (TKO 9) and then cashed in with a forgettable and embarrassingly easy win over fellow trash-talker Audley Harrison. Then the Klitschko negotiations began again for real and finally, after years of waiting, Haye and Wladimir met in the ring in Germany.
Sadly, another disappointment followed. Haye, never once going for broke, instead boxed an ultra-cautious fight, losing most of the rounds as he did so. A later broken toe excuse only added further hurt to Haye’s credibility.
And then - nothing. Apart from more talk. Until today, that is; with the news breaking that Haye is all set for retirement. A sense of what might have been will forever be attached to Haye due to his decision not to fight on. After all, 30/31 is an awful young age for a heavyweight to retire at.
What odds Haye does make a return in 2012 or 2013!?!
Victor Ortiz’s manager likes Devon Alexander as next opponent
By Dan Ambrose: Danny Garcia, the trainer for former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s), likes the idea of Ortiz fighting former IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KO’s) next if a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. can’t be made.
Ortiz was stopped in the 4th round by Mayweather last month when Ortiz dropped his guard after hugging Mayweather. Ortiz hopes that Mayweather will fight him again, but his been largely ignored and ridiculed by Mayweather. A fight against Alexander would seem like the more realistic goal for Ortiz.
Garcia said to examiner.com, “This would be a good fight [Alexander-Ortiz], because he [Alexander] only has one loss and he’s a former champion. I think that the people would like to see that fight. That way we can show the people that we’re not here to fight guys with four, five losses. We’re fighting guys near the top of the division or guys who are undefeated. Berto, Mayweather and now Devon Alexander.”
Alexander is ranked number #1 by the WBC as of now. It’s unclear whether Alexander’s people will want to match him against a puncher like Ortiz, especially with Ortiz in such a desperate situation. Alexander has looked positively horrible recently with questionable wins over Andriy Kotelnik and Lucas Matthysse, and a loss to Timothy Bradley last January.
A lot of boxing fans thought that Alexander should have lost the Kotelnik and Matthysse fights, which took place in Alexander’s home city of Saint Louis. And Alexander looked bad when he complained that his head hurt in the 10th round against Bradley after a clash of heads. Some boxing fans felt that Alexander quit in that fight when the going got tough for him.
By Dan Ambrose: Danny Garcia, the trainer for former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s), likes the idea of Ortiz fighting former IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KO’s) next if a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. can’t be made.
Ortiz was stopped in the 4th round by Mayweather last month when Ortiz dropped his guard after hugging Mayweather. Ortiz hopes that Mayweather will fight him again, but his been largely ignored and ridiculed by Mayweather. A fight against Alexander would seem like the more realistic goal for Ortiz.
Garcia said to examiner.com, “This would be a good fight [Alexander-Ortiz], because he [Alexander] only has one loss and he’s a former champion. I think that the people would like to see that fight. That way we can show the people that we’re not here to fight guys with four, five losses. We’re fighting guys near the top of the division or guys who are undefeated. Berto, Mayweather and now Devon Alexander.”
Alexander is ranked number #1 by the WBC as of now. It’s unclear whether Alexander’s people will want to match him against a puncher like Ortiz, especially with Ortiz in such a desperate situation. Alexander has looked positively horrible recently with questionable wins over Andriy Kotelnik and Lucas Matthysse, and a loss to Timothy Bradley last January.
A lot of boxing fans thought that Alexander should have lost the Kotelnik and Matthysse fights, which took place in Alexander’s home city of Saint Louis. And Alexander looked bad when he complained that his head hurt in the 10th round against Bradley after a clash of heads. Some boxing fans felt that Alexander quit in that fight when the going got tough for him.
Pirog would put up a good fight I'll tell you that much and would have a fighting chance. If Darren Barker got some good shots in Pirog would as well. He's a tricky fighter especially how he transitions from orthodox to southpaw so frequently and smoothly.
but whatever, Martinez vs Andy Lee or Macklin will be next. They are both diBella fighters (and of course neither are that good).
but whatever, Martinez vs Andy Lee or Macklin will be next. They are both diBella fighters (and of course neither are that good).
