Avoided Fighters: A Sign of Boxing’s Decline

05/21/201405/21/2014 Dan Smith

When talking with a friend of mine; a serious boxing-head, the conversation managed to swing around to how Andre ‘Son of God’ Ward (27-0-0) is still marginalized despite garnering quite glowing praise from critics around the world. We got on to this subject as we were discussing the upcoming super-middleweight clash between ‘Saint’ George Groves (19-1-0) and Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch (32-2-0), and how the British public’s interest in the fight had greatly elevated the perceived status of the fight; already supplemented by the fact that there are two World titles on the line. Now, as a massive George Groves fan, I am delighted that he was made mandatory for the IBF title and has been successful in forcing a rematch; the question that lingers in my head is why these two fighters are having two title fights in the space of a year, whilst Ward languishes.

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Chavez Jr-Golovkin fight to have $1 million weight penalty for both fighters

03/29/2014 Jeff Sorby

WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KO’s) now has a big reason for him to make weight for his proposed July 19th fight against middleweight Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) for their fight at 168 pounds on HBO. If Chavez Jr. fails to make weight, it’s going to cost him $1 million. Chavez Jr. agreed to the weight penalty on Friday.

The penalty also applies to Golovkin if he can’t make the 168lb, but he probably won’t struggle with the weight. It’s Chavez Jr. who is built like a cruiserweight, and who clearly is already having problems making weight for his fights at super middleweight despite having moved up from the middleweight division only last year. It seems likely that Chavez Jr. will need to make a move to the light heavyweight division in the near future if he doesn’t want to end up losing fights due to him being weigh-drained.

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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Bradley vs Pacquiao “Face-Off”, Why Golovkin Chose Chavez, Not Andre Ward, and Maidana Fight Strategy!!!

03/24/2014 Vivek Wallace

Steve N. (Reseda, CA): Bradley vs Pacquiao’s “Face-Off” on HBO seemed very intense. Who did you give the mental edge too (based on what we saw)? And who do you think has more to prove given the way things turned out before?

Vivek W. (ESB): I found this particular episode of “Face-Off” to be easily the most compelling of all. I think the episode gave us a strong indication of the pure mindset hidden deep within the dome of both competitors. I thought it was very raw, very intense, and for lack of better words, very unscripted. One thing for sure, there will be no questions remaining in the end this time around, as neither man seems to be willing to give an inch, yet both appear ready to step forward and forcibly take a yard, so to speak! With a few notes in hand and a mind full of contrasting thoughts, my best analysis on what we witnessed would go a little something like this:

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Boxing 411: “Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Gennady Golovkin” on tap for 2014?

03/04/201403/03/2014 Joseph Herron

After Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s convincing unanimous decision victory over Bryan Vera this past Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, shockwaves were felt throughout the offices of HBO, Top Rank, Inc, and K2 Promotions, regarding a potentially explosive super-fight between WBA Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin and the former WBC Middleweight title holder.

When “Boxing 411” caught up with Triple G’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, in the Alamo City, the veteran fight mentor couldn’t confirm anything concerning his fighter’s next appearance on HBO, except that it more than likely wouldn’t be taking place on April 26th as originally planned.

“At this point there’s some breaking news about Triple G’s future that you’ll have to talk about with managing director of K2 Promotions Tom Loeffler.

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Four to Watch in 2014

02/20/2014 Robert Uzzell

Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs)

Why Tune In?

He’s undefeated. He’s fought big names such as Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ruslan Provodnikov, Joel Cassamayor, Devon Alexander, Lamont Peterson, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, and Junior Witter. Guess what? He hasn’t given that “0” up in the loss column yet. There’s something about this kid that just won’t take no for an answer. Desert Storm is an appropriate nickname for Bradley, not just because of fights like his war with Provodnikov- but his sheer will to go out and protect his “0”, by not going out to protect his “0”. You follow me? None of the names mentioned above are a walk in the park. For a guy with little power, he doesn’t fight like it. Witness how he dogged Devon Alexander and basically took his heart and made him quit. Timmy has earned his way to Top 3 status Pound 4 Pound in my book.

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Sergio Martinez targeting Gennady Golovkin after the June 7th Cotto bout

02/11/2014 Bill Phanco

If everything works out well for WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO’s) with his June 7th title defense against the ambitious Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31 KO’s), then Sergio wants to face WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) in a unification fight. But Sergio must get past Cotto, because a loss in that fight would make the Golovkin bout a meaningless one for him.

“I have a hard, complicated fight ahead [Miguel Cotto], but seeing how things are working, I know I’m gonna finish him. Once I KO Cotto on June 7, then I can concentrate on Golovkin,” Martinez said to Munod.

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Erislandy Lara challenges Gennady Golovkin

02/09/2014 Jeff Sorby

How about you @gggboxing me fight you anytime! #badboyvsgoodboy

— Erislandy Lara (@Laraboxing) February 9, 2014

If WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) is still looking for an opponent for his his next fight on April 26th then he might want to consider facing junior middleweight Erislandy Lara (19-1-2, 12 KO’s), because the Cuban fighter is very interested in facing him judging by his above challenge. Golovkin still hasn’t found an opponent for his April fight at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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Gennady Golovkin: Now What?

02/03/2014 Chip Mitchell

On Saturday in Monte Carlo, Monaco Gennady Golovkin scored his 16th knockout in a row by defeating a very game Osumanu Adama. Golovkin registered three knockdowns in fight as he improved to 29-0, with 26 wins via knockout.

A jab sent Adama to the canvas at the end of round one. The right hand that followed was just icing on the cake as Adama was on his way to the canvas. A left hook knocked Adama down in the sixth, forcing an eight count from referee Luis Pabon. Adama went down again from a Golovkin a left jab in the seventh. Golovkin followed with two left hooks, which prompted Pabon to step in and halt the fight.

After the fight, Golovkin made it known where his sights were set. ”I want to fight Sergio Martinez to prove who the best middleweight is,” Golovkin said.

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Photos: Golovkin stops Adama

02/02/201402/01/2014 K2 Promotions

(Photo/Courtesy Sumio Yamada) Monte Carlo (February 1, 2014) In front of a packed house of cheering boxing fans in Monte Carlo and millions watching around the world on Saturday night, WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin stormed to a seventh round stoppage of Ghana’s Osumanu Adama at the Salles des Etoiles.

The knockout, Golovkin’s sixteenth in a row and tenth world title defense improved Golovkin’s record to 29-0 (26KO’s) and boosted his knockout ratio to 89.66, the highest among the active world champions and the highest in the history of boxing’s glamour division. With the loss Adama fell to 22-4 (16KO’s).

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Golovkin defeats Adama by 7th round quick stoppage

02/01/201402/01/2014 Jeff Sorby

(Photo/Courtesy Sumio Yamada) WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) did what he said he was going to do by going out and halting challenger Osumanu Adama (22-4, 16 KO’s) in the 7th round in a three knockdown performance at the at the Salle des etoiles, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Golovkin knocked Adama down with a jab in the 7th. Shortly after that, Golovkin hit Adama with a left hook square in the jaw that staggered Adama, sending him backwards a couple of steps.

The referee Louis Pabon quickly stopped the fight at that point rather than waiting to see if Adama would recover from the shot. The official time of the stoppage was 1:20. It’s hard to say if Adama would have made it through the round, because he had been staggered several other times in the fight and he’d been able to recoup from the punches.

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