May 2nd – “The World Will Stop Rotating On It’s Axis” says David Haye

04/20/201504/20/2015 Olly Campbell

Now we are less than a fortnight away, the time for the focus on the big fight will naturally grow more intense, and as the proposed date looms, figures from all corners of boxing are giving their opinion on the proposed outcome.

Kugan Cassius of iFLtv recently spoke to Britain’s former unified world cruiserweight champion and WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, to ask him his thoughts on the outcome.

One of the hotly debated topics among fans is whether this fight has come too late for both fighters, each arguably displaying their own (small) signs of decline.

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Freddie Roach: Training Manny Pacquiao Saved Me From Suicide

04/20/201504/20/2015 Olly Campbell

Ahead of the proposed “Fight Of The Century” on May 2nd at the MGM Grand, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has told respected British fight journalist Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph, that were it not for his dedication to the sport as a whole, and in particular to training Filipino wizard Pacquiao, he could be a dead man already.

Roach, who has suffered with Parkinson’s for 23 years, explained the medication he takes daily to combat it often induces suicidal thought.

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Floyd/Manny Under-card- Santa Cruz Speaks Ahead Of The Fight

04/20/201504/20/2015 Olly Campbell

WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (29-0,17ko) has spoken to FightHype.com ahead of his scheduled “Golden Ticket” appearance on May 2nd’s “Fight Of The Century” under-card, where he is to square off against unremarkable Hungarian fighter Zsolt Bedak (24-1, 8ko)

Santa Cruz, who is looked after by manager Al Haymon, is gushing in his praise of the PBC mastermind, who himself is credited with rejuvenating the career of Floyd Mayweather, at least financially, by helping him out of his prior contract disputes with Top Rank and Bob Arum some years previously.

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Ruslan Provodnikov – What now for Siberia’s Rocky?

04/19/201504/19/2015 Olly Campbell

Last night in Verona, the watching world saw Lucas Matthysse (37-3, 34ko) and Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4, 17ko) deliver twelve brutal rounds that in my opinion adequately delivered on the promise of war. Yet because the much mooted knockout between the punchers failed to transpire, reports by sites like Sky Sports in the UK are saying;

“The predicted slug-fest between the two heavy hitters never really took off”

I guess some folk are never truly happy because in my mind the fight played out much as I thought it would, with the hittable Provodnikov getting banged up by a Matthysse who used more of the boxing skill we knew he had going in. He boxed a sensible fight fight for me and didn’t get caught trading TOO often!!

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Deakin vs Bieber – “Let’s Get It On!”

04/19/2015 Olly Campbell

Essex’s “Rockin” Robin Deakin (1-51, 0kos) often gets referred to as Britain’s “worst” boxer, a label he himself happily revels in. The focus last year of some rather cruel and mocking press in the national newspapers, Deakin, who at the time had his licence suspended by the British board, has taken everything in his stride, even when his right to earn a living was perhaps unfairly taken from him.

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Mathews v Luis – Liverpool Fight Card Review

04/19/201504/18/2015 Olly Campbell

Tonight in Liverpool at the Echo Arena, Britain’s Derry Mathews headlined Frank Warren’s televised show against last minute replacement Tony Luis in a lightweight contest for the interim WBA 135lb strap that was screened live on Boxnation in the UK.

After originally being scheduled to box Cuban Richar Abril in place of original challenger Anthony Crolla, Mathews and promoter Frank Warren have had a nightmare week getting a fight on after Abril pulled out of the contest for a SECOND time a week ago (the first in March) and late replacement Ismael Barroso of Venezuela suffered visa problems that meant he too had to withdraw.

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Chisora V Price? – Deal or No Deal?

04/19/201504/18/2015 Olly Campbell

The rumours that have been gathering pace for some time in Britain regarding a potential summer fight between Finchley’s Dereck Chisora (20-5, 13ko) (who, incidentally has dropped the ‘c’ from his first name on twitter!) and Liverpool’s David Price (19-2, 16ko) may need to be put to bed after a social media exchange this afternoon between Chisora himself and Price’s promoters Sauerland Event, appeared to kill any hope fans had of the fight being made.

The saga began with a brief tweet from Kalle and Nisse Sauerland, regarding the proposed June 6th return of Price to the UK, and a potential showdown with Chisora. It read;

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Derry Mathews v Tony Luis – A Nightmare For Frank Warren

04/18/2015 Olly Campbell

Tonight in Liverpool, after what has been nothing short of an unfortunately farcical situation, hometown man “Dirty” Derry Mathews (37-9-2, 20ko) will step into the ring against Canadian late replacement and unknown quantity, Tony Luis (19-2, 7ko).

It’s a fight that has ended up being for the vacant WBA interim lightweight strap, and after the circus that promoter Frank Warren has had to endure to put it together, Derry is lucky really to be fighting anybody at all.

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Terence Crawford – One of America’s Best

04/17/201504/17/2015 Olly Campbell

Weigh-In Results: Terence Crawford 139.8 – Thomas Dulorme 139.2
Diego Magdaleno 136.8 – Luis Solis TBA
Mike Tufariello 158.5 – Eddie Tigs 159
Anthony Barnes 169 – Martinez Porter 169.25

By my reckoning, and that of most in the know, Terence “Bud” Crawford (25-0, 17ko) is one of boxing’s brightest stars. Last years Boxing writer’s Fighter Of The Year will make his 140lb debut this Saturday when he steps up in weight to face Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14ko) in Arlington, Texas for the vacant WBO strap.

The fight will be screened as part of a split card on HBO in America and Boxnation in the UK.

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James DeGale – Britain’s Next Road Warrior?

04/17/2015 Olly Campbell

On May 23rd in Boston, Mass, North London’s James “Chunky” DeGale (20-1, 14ko) will attempt to become the latest British fighter to travel to America and win a version of the world title, following Sheffield’s IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook who dethroned Shawn Porter in Carson, California, last August.

DeGale will contest the vacant IBF 168lb strap vacated by countryman Carl Froch, against arguably the trickier of Michigan’s Dirrell brothers, Andre. (24-1, 16ko)

Many British fans will remember him from his controversial SD loss to Froch in Nottingham as part of “The Super Six” tournament. A fight many Brits and Froch fans readily concede Dirrell was unlucky to lose.

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