New WBA (sup) 126 lb champion, Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17ko), has announced that he intends to vacate his WBC super bantamweight title and continue to campaign at featherweight.
The unbeaten Mexican, who is looked after by the elusive and influential Al Haymon, has landed in China ready to attend this years WBC convention, whereby he intends to inform them of his plans.
Whether it ends up being for the WBA (sup) 200 lb title or not, veteran British promoter Frank Warren has claimed that 46 year old Roy Jones Jr (62-8, 45ko) is the ‘ideal’ fight for Enzo Maccarinelli (40-7, 32ko) at this late stage of his career.
Earlier rumours about a dust-up between the American former great and the 35 year old Welshman became true last week at a public unveiling in Russia, where the bout is set to take place on Dec. 12.
Oxnard-based trainer, Robert Garcia, has also weighed in on the issue of Canelo Alvarez insisting any Gennady Golovkin fight must be at 155, by partly echoing the sentiments of Teddy Atlas, in that GGG may have to concede if he ultimately wants to be a PPV attraction.
Garcia was full of praise for the dominant WBA/IBF champion, who has been on a wrecking ball mission at middleweight, and who claims he wishes to clean house in the division before moving up for bigger fights.
Robert Garcia trained brawler, Brandon Rios, has warned anyone thinking he is washed up and/or doesn’t have the tools to deal with WBO welterweight champion, Tim Bradley next weekend, is likely to be in for a rude awakening.
Rios challenges “Desert Storm” at the Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas, live on HBO/Boxnation (UK) and claims he is itching to get back in the ring, having not boxed since January’s third fight with old rival, Mike Alvarado, whom he destroyed in 3 swift and aggressive rounds.
Veteran trainer/broadcaster, Teddy Atlas, has weighed in on the issue of ‘Canelo’ Alvarez insisting Gennady Golovkin must come to 155 for any future middleweight fight, suggesting that even if it’s technically wrong, the Mexican’s greater star power means he can essentially call the shots regardless.
Alvarez must first come past WBC champion, Miguel Cotto, in next month’s Mexico/Puerto Rico mega fight before any Golovkin fight is even considered, although should he do that and inherit the Kazakh WBA/IBF champion as his mandatory challenger, Atlas shares the opinion of many realists that in this money driven sport, Canelo’s proven box office record may well end up dictating the terms of any potential fight.
Next month in Liverpool, unbeaten local super middleweight rivals Callum Smith (17-0, 12ko) and Rocky Fielding (21-0, 12ko), contest the (vacant) British 168 lb title in a fight for city bragging rights and the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things, yet their respective trainers have started a war of words reflective of what’s at stake, with shots publicly fired back and forth between them.
Unbeaten fighting twin, Jermell Charlo (26-0, 11ko) clashes with 39 year old veteran, Joachim Alcine (35-7-2, 21ko) in his home state of Texas tonight, promising that he will knock his Canadian opponent out, en route to emulating twin brother Jermall, by capturing a world title.
Charlo saw one potential opportunity for a world title fall apart a year ago when then [WBO] belt holder, Demetrius Andrade, pulled out of fighting him before eventually being stripped, and has since seen his older brother (by just 1 minute) capture IBF 154 lb honours by making short work of former champ, Cornelius Bundrage last month in Connecticut, stopping his man in 3.
Oxnard-based multi time trainer of the year, Robert Garcia, has weighed in on the issue of female MMA fighter Ronda Rousey being set to appear on legendary boxing publication “The Ring’s,” January 2016 front cover, sarcastically suggesting that if she can make an appearance, then so can WWE’s ‘The Undertaker.’
The Golden Boy owned publication has provoked widespread furore among many serious fans, who see the inclusion of Rousey on the cover – a figurehead of a completely different sport – as a travesty and final nail in the coffin of what those same fans see as the magazine’s long and painful decline.
WBO 160 lb challenger, Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12ko), Marbella bound for camp ahead of his crunch world title challenge to Andy Lee on Dec. 19, has again verbally laid waste to bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr (20-1, 15ko), comparing his former opponent to fake goods sold at Dagenham market!
Eubank last week headlined an absolute shocker of a card from Sheffield, in which he destroyed hopelessly overmatched 39 year old American, Tony Jeter in around four effortless minutes, and while his new handlers at Matchroom have been hyping their signing to the hilt ahead of his December clash with Spike O’Sullivan (22-1, 15ko), Saunders remains completely unconvinced, given he has beaten both men in the past.
The Dec. 19 HBO card from the Turning Point Resort & Casino in New York, that features the intriguing heavyweight clash between American former world title challenger, Bryant Jennings (19-1, 10ko) and unbeaten Cuban defector, Luis Ortiz (23-0, 20ko), has been beefed up with some new additions.
Golden Boy chief exec, Oscar De La Hoya, has worked with the broadcaster- as well as other promoters- to add to the card, which now also features former WBA featherweight champ, Nicholas Walters (26-0, 21ko), squaring off against fringe contender, Jason Sosa (18-1-3, 14ko) over 10 rounds at 130 lbs.