Kovalev: ‘Adonis Is a Paper Champ’

10/28/201510/27/2015 Olly Campbell

Big-hitting WBA/WBO/IBF light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, has again turned up the heat on WBC champion, Adonis Stevenson, in an attempt to force ‘Superman’ into a fight, releasing 2 short videos, accompanied by the hashtag #paperchamp.

The 1st clip of Kovalev punching a heavy bag, with a piece of paper stuck to it bearing Stevenson’s name and the above hashtag, was released in response to a tweet from Adonis, who criticised the Russian’s promoter Kathy Duva, for suggesting that he should fight the winner of the mooted January Kovalev/Pascal rematch, writing; ‘I am the champ and I am my own boss.’

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Mosley UK Bound for Liam Smith Fight?

10/27/201510/27/2015 Olly Campbell

A deal has been agreed in principle for new WBO 154 lb champion Liam Smith, to face past-best veteran Shane Mosley on the December 19 Andy Lee/Billy Joe Saunders card in Manchester, England, numerous sources are reporting.

Smith won his title in style against American ‘Boxcino’ winner, John Thompson earlier this month, and immediately found himself embroiled in a war of words with Mosley on social media after the 44 year old former great took exception to Smith saying ‘Sugar Shane’ should be calling him out now he – and not former IBF champ, ‘K-9’ Bundrage – had a 154 lb world title.

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‘I Always Carry That Kronk Attitude’ says Andy Lee

10/27/201510/27/2015 Olly Campbell

WBO middleweight champion, Andy Lee, says he always carries the lessons learned under his esteemed former trainer – the late Emanuel Steward – into the ring with him, and will be looking for the knockout against Billy Joe Saunders when the two meet in December.

After numerous delays, the December 19th fight in Manchester is set to represent the first time that two men of traveller origins have contested a version of a world title, and a boxer/puncher narrative has begun to develop between the rival southpaws, as the tactics of each are scrutinized.

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Kell Brook: ‘I Want to Box Before the Year’s End

10/27/201510/26/2015 Olly Campbell

After injured IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook was seen on Saturday night in Sheffield, clapping, cheering and allegedly raising his arms aloft ringside on the Eubank/Jeter card he was meant to be headlining, it only further stoked the fire of doubters claiming the rib injury that caused him to pull from his headline fight with Diego Chaves isn’t 100% genuine.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has been quick to shoot-down various whispers of Brook being off target with his weight, or unable to shift enough tickets to justify his PPV wages on a non-PPV broadcast; a miserable card that finally ended in loud jeering and booing on Saturday night, and really all but fell apart the moment Klitschko/Fury pulled out of ‘carrying it’ on a televised split anyway.

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Chavez Jr: ‘I Don’t Like Cotto’

10/27/201510/26/2015 Olly Campbell

It shouldn’t take a genius to work out on what side of the Mexico/Puerto Rico rivalry fence that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr sits, with the legend’s son claiming he doesn’t like WBC middleweight champion, Miguel Cotto, and that predictably, Saul Alvarez will emerge the winner of next month’s Las Vegas title clash.

The younger Chavez took to criticising Cotto’s decision to contest 160 lb title bouts at lesser catch-weight, as well as suggesting the Puerto Rican’s world title outings have not been as competitive as they should be in terms of the opposition, also claiming that the youth of his countryman, Alvarez, will be a decisive factor in deciding next month’s mega-fight.

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Andy Lee: ‘I Hit Harder Than Golovkin’

10/27/201510/26/2015 Olly Campbell

WBO middleweight champion, Andy Lee (34-2-1, 24ko), has warned mandatory challenger Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12ko) that he hits ‘as hard, if not harder’ than destructive WBA/IBF champion, Gennady Golovkin.

Lee defends his title against the Hatfield fighter on Dec. 19 in Manchester, with the winner then ostensibly on a 2016 collision course with the big-hitting Kazakh, a unification fight that Lee has stated he is keen on for next year.

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Fielding Looking to KO Callum Smith

10/27/201510/26/2015 Olly Campbell

Liverpudlian super-middleweight contender, Rocky Fielding, has promised he will enter next months crunch domestic British title fight with bitter rival and fellow Scouser, Callum Smith, looking for fireworks.

Promoter Eddie Hearn deserves credit for pitching the two unbeaten 168 lb-er’s together in what represents a real grudge match for not only the city of Liverpool, but British boxing generally, with the winner inching one step closer to an eventual world title shot.

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Fury: Postponement Was Best for Me In the End

10/26/201510/25/2015 Olly Campbell

Tyson Fury has claimed that the postponement of his WBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko is the best thing that could have happened, given he had been suffering from a virus in the original build up.

Klitschko pulled out of the initial Oct. 24 date just days after a fun-filled London press conference – citing a minor calf strain – meaning that the fight was rescheduled for the same Esprit Arena venue in Dusseldorf, 5 weeks later on Nov.28; It’s something Fury says has inadvertently done him a massive favour given he was feeling out-of-sorts with a bug.

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Eubank Jr Vows to ‘Punish’ Spike O’Sullivan

10/26/201510/25/2015 Olly Campbell

WBA Interim titlist, Chris Eubank Jr, has vowed to ‘punish’ Irish middleweight rival, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan when the two meet on December 12th in London.

Eubank didn’t even get out of first gear last night in Sheffield, where he absolutely destroyed the hopelessly out-gunned and overmatched Tony Jeter inside 2 pathetically one sided rounds – after which the Brighton fighter was greeted by boos from the frustrated Arena crowd.

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One Last Dance for Manny Pacquiao

10/26/201510/25/2015 Olly Campbell

Manny Pacquiao’s veteran promoter, Bob Arum, has confirmed that the Filipino superstar will fight one last time in April before calling time on his long and illustrious career.

Pacquiao was last seen in May’s disappointing mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, a fight that will always be overshadowed by his decision to enter the bout carrying a shoulder injury – an injury that later required surgery and ruled him out of fighting for the rest of this year.

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