Carl Frampton tops Leo Santa Cruz in terrific fight; how about a rematch?

08/02/201607/31/2016 James Slater

Carl Frampton wants to become known as the greatest fighter ever to have come out of Ireland, and last night, with his terrific win over an excellent defending champion in Leo Santa Cruz, “The Jackal” took one huge stride towards achieving his goal. Out-pointing the relentless defending WBA featherweight champion, Frampton boxed superbly and he is now a two-weight world ruler. All congratulations and respect go out to Frampton and he will now head back to a hero’s reception in Belfast.

The big question is what next for Frampton, and Santa Cruz? Last night’s fight was all that is great about boxing: two fine, unbeaten athletes in their prime, exchanging quality punches throughout, not a clinch in sight, the fans thrilled to the very end. And the final result of the fight was hanging in the balance until the very end – or so we thought. Once again – and not at all wanting to rain on Frampton’s parade – the boxing judges came close to spoiling a magical occasion. As it turned out, only one of the three officials had the fight hanging in the balance until the very end. Was Frampton really a 4-point winner? A SIX-point winner! No way. The draw handed in by the third official was more on the money, and it really was quite staggering hearing how one judge had Santa Cruz winning just three rounds!

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So, is the David Haye – Shannon Briggs fight still going to happen?

07/31/2016 James Slater

Shannon Briggs is certainly persistent. Having been chasing David Haye for a few months now – crashing the former WBA heavyweight champ’s press conferences, turning up at his gym in London and finally fighting on his under-card – Briggs was in hot pursuit of Haye last night in New York. The vocal, “Let’s Go, Champ” 44-year-old turned up at the Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz fight at The Barclays Centre and he chased after Haye upon seeing his ring target.

Haye tried his best to ignore his tormentor, but on thing is clear: Briggs is not going to go away. But does Haye still like the idea of swapping bombs with “The Cannon?” The last we heard, when the two former champs blew away mismatched opposition in May, the two would clash in London, probably in September. Since then……nothing, at least nothing from Haye. Briggs is on social media at every opportunity calling for the fight and shortly after the passing of the great Muhammad Ali, Briggs vowed to KO Haye in one-round in honour of “The Greatest.”

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Jessie Vargas wants Pacquiao

07/30/2016 James Slater

He may have lost out on a big unification meeting with IBF champ Kell Brook, but reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas believes he is on the verge of a much bigger fight: one with the soon to return Manny Pacquiao. As fans have read, superstar Pacquiao is, according to his promoter Bob Arum, set to return to action in November, in Las Vegas. Vargas, 27-1(10) and beaten only by Pacquiao common opponent Tim Bradley, told media members in Vegas yesterday how he feels he is very close to getting the Nov. 5 date with Pac-Man.

“I am the WBO welterweight champion and he wants to return to fight for this belt,” Vargas said as quoted by The National. “The fight is still under negotiation and I can say that soon we will announce it, although I do not want to advance because in boxing everything can change every minute. Manny has never faced someone like me. I’m at my best, I have several advantages. I’m taller and faster than him. I’m a really smart fighter too. I not only want to face him but I want to beat him. Juan Manuel Marquez did it and I want to beat him too, mainly because at his best he gave many headaches to Mexico fighters.”

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Adonis Stevenson proves he is the most exciting light-heavyweight today

08/02/201607/30/2016 James Slater

(Photo credit: Dave Nadkarni/Premier Boxing Champions) WBC light-heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson last night retained his belt, the one he won in crushing fashion against Chad Dawson back in June of 2013, for the seventh time and what a thrilling fight he and his challenger Thomas Williams Junior put on in Quebec City. A sizzling slugfest the type fans love, Stevenson’s 4th-round KO over Williams Jr gave us plenty of terrific exchanges, switches in momentum and then, courtesy of “Superman’s” explosive left hand, a KO of The Year candidate.

Stevenson, now 28-1(23) proved in the all-southpaw battle that he is the most exciting light-heavyweight out there today. The 38-year-old (39 in September) might not be the best – and if he does face the winner of November’s Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward showdown, Stevenson will likely enter the ring as an underdog – but his blend of raw power, speed and willingness to rumble, combined with his often leaky defence and decent but not great chin, make Stevenson so compelling to watch.

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Charles Martin: is there any way back for him, do fans really care?

07/30/2016 James Slater

The above headline may seem a little harsh, but after the quite pathetic looking showing he gave against Anthony Joshua in April, fans have every right to have lost most, if not all interest in one “Prince” Charles Martin. Making the first defence of the IBF heavyweight title he was deemed by many to have been fortunate to win when Vyascheslav Glazkov’s knee blew out in a fight between the two that contested the recently vacated strap, Martin offered almost nothing against the big Brit known as A.J.

Martin was reportedly paid handsomely for his short, 2-rounds, night of work, and many fans felt they’d probably seen the last of Martin. But no, the former champ is set to get back into training in early August, with a couple of return fights being looked at before the humbled fighter who, before the Joshua debacle said he “walks this earth like a God,” hopes to get back to the top next year. This is the plan according to Martin’s manager, Mike Boroa, who outlined these plans to RingTV.com.

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Carl Frampton on his fight with Leo Santa Cruz: “No hype required!”

07/29/2016 James Slater

(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME) Has tomorrow night’s WBA featherweight title clash between defending champion Leo Santa Cruz and challenger and super-bantamweight champ Carl Frampton been given enough hype? Has the clash of unbeatens been given the respect and attention it deserves? There are a number of internet articles out there pushing the fight, mostly Irish websites doing the work it must be said, but there doesn’t really seem to be a massive buzz surrounding this fight; a fight that really does deserve to be looked at as a potential classic.

Frampton’s not at all bothered by the lack of hype; as he made clear on his Twitter page an hour ago: “No hype required. Real fighters fight!” he wrote.

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Keith Thurman likely to be out of action for the remainder of 2016

07/29/2016 James Slater

WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder is not the only big name who will likely be out of action for the rest of the year due to injuries picked up in the ring. According to Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza, WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman will probably rest up for the remainder of 2016, so as to allow the cuts he picked up in his tremendous war with Shawn Porter to heal. And as gruelling and as draining as the June fight was for both winner and loser (there really was no “loser” in the FOTY candidate) a good break would not be a bad idea for both Thurman and Porter.

But, as Espinoza told RingTV.com, Thurman could be back with a massive fight in 2017: a unification fight with WBC welterweight ruler Danny Garcia. While “One Time” will live up to his nickname by having fought just one time this year, Garcia is reportedly in talks to face former champ Andre Berto in either September or October. A possibly risky fight for Garcia, who is unbeaten like Thurman, the rumble with Thurman would ideally come next should “Swift” get past Berto okay.

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Can a Wilder-Joshua clash bring the heavyweight magic back to Las Vegas?

07/29/2016 James Slater

There was a time, in the 1970s and 1980s especially, when almost all the big heavyweight fights took place under the glitzy lights of Las Vegas. Be it George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield, and be it Caesars Palace, The Las Vegas Hilton or The Mirage, most of the heavyweight action was being fought in the Nevada desert. This changed in the 2000s and it’s hard to think of the last massive heavyweight showdown that took place in Vegas.

But this could change next year, so says Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza. Speaking with RingTV.com, Espinoza says there is a “lot of pent up demand” for a big heavyweight occasion in Vegas, and, all being well, rival title holders Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua will be giving these fans what they want before the end of 2017.

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Get ready for Danny Garcia vs. Andre Berto

07/28/2016 James Slater

It’s not official yet, but welterweights Danny Garcia and Andre Berto are in talks for a possible September or October fight; so reports RingTV.com (although the man with all the news, Dan Rafael, wrote how this fight was a possibility a few days ago). Reportedly, the likely date is September 24th at The Barclays Centre in New York, with a later date in October also being looked at. But never mind the finer details – are fight fans happy with this match-up?

It’s by no means a bad fight, but shouldn’t Garcia – a superb fighter who looked as though he was at least three feet along the road to superstardom after his fine 2012/2013 wins over Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse – be facing the elite of the elite? Okay, Garcia, 32-0(18) has not had that much experience as a welterweight (his biggest wins coming down at 140) but with the likes of Keith Thurman calling him out and with those recent reports suggesting “Swift” was in the running to face the soon to return Manny Pacquiao, it’s possible fans will fail to be too thrilled if the Berto fight is finalized and then announced.

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Ricky Hatton “feels sorry” for Kell Brook, wishes him well against “punching machine” Golovkin

07/28/2016 James Slater

British boxing hero Ricky Hatton, a fighting man who knows all about how special it feels to smash the odds, and, all about how it feels to be smashed when the odds against you are obeyed, is hoping his countryman Kell Brook can pull it off against Gennady Golovkin on September 10. But, in speaking with Ring Magazine, “Hitman” Hatton wasn’t about to betray his brutally honest nature and he had to admit how he feels Golovkin will prove too much for Brook.

Brook is of course moving up from 147 to challenge the feared middleweight destroyer, a destructive puncher nobody has thus far been able to go the full 12-rounds with, and it is this “punching machine” that Hatton feels will win in London in just over six week’s time. Hatton said Brook “cannot be blamed” for taking this, the ultimate of gambles, but the warrior who faced three pound-for-pound stars during his exciting career – Kostya Tszyu (a magnificent win), Floyd Mayweather (a spirited loss) and Manny Pacquiao (a brutal KO destruction) – can only hope that Brook will somehow prove him wrong and score a sensational upset win.

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