Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Floyd Mayweather’s “Questionable” Past?, Maidana Glove Controversy, & Rigondeaux’s

07/21/201407/20/2014 Vivek Wallace

(Photo credit: Idris Erba) Kaleb G. (Boston, MA): I noticed that you’ve been pretty quiet on the topic of Floyd Mayweather and the way the media overlooks his past, as it relates to domestic violence and so forth. What are your thoughts on the recent article in “Deadspin”?

Vivek W. (ESB): I’ve received several emails from fight fans asking for my thoughts on this topic. I initially chose not to comment, for the simple fact that I prefer not to talk on topics in which I don’t have a complete education on. And furthermore, I’m not familiar with Deadspin, and have never seen them represented in a Boxing media room; so that’s a dead giveaway that their sources probably have limited facts, as well.

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Canelo should do the right thing and give Lara a rematch like Mayweather gave Maidana a rematch

07/20/2014 Jeff Sorby

It’s been a little over a week since former WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) won a controversial 12 round split decision win over Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12 KO’s) in their fight at middleweight at 155, and it’s clear that boxing fans are even more undecided now than they were back then.

Last night’s replay of the Canelo-Lara fight, including the ALL ACCESS epilogue showing, showed that Canelo’s win over Lara was far from convincing. The judges gave the more popular Canelo the victory by the scores of 115-113 and 117-111 for Canelo, and 115-113, but boxing fans are still largely split down the middle about who really won the fight.

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Golovkin vs. Geale this Saturday at Madison Square Garden, New York

07/20/2014 Rob Smith

WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KOs) will be facing the biggest name of his career this Saturday night in defending his WBA title against former world champion Daniel Geale (30-2, 16 KOs) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Golovkin has been interested in getting the big names to fight him for many years, but this is the best that he’s been able to get after 7 years as a pro. Golovkin hopes that a big win over Geale will be a springboard for him to get bigger fights against the other middleweight champions or possibly against one of the big junior middleweight names such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez Decides to Continue Boxing Career

07/20/201407/19/2014 DiBella Entertainment

After lengthy discussions with members of his team, now-former WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez has decided to continue his boxing career.

Determined to return and erase the terrible memory of what happened against fellow-great Miguel Cotto in June, 39-year-old Martinez will next face a top-10 contender with the goal of recapturing his world title.

“Miguel De Pablos (Business Manager) and I met with Sergio at his home in Madrid and he says he is 100% healthy and ready to do what it takes to return to the very top of boxing,” said Martinez advisor Sampson Lewkowicz.

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Guillermo Rigondeaux destroys Sod Kokietgym inside a round (with a little controversy thrown in!)

07/20/201407/19/2014 James Slater

Today in Macao, WBA and WBO super-bantamweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux scored a devastating 1st-round KO over the experienced and usually very durable Sod Kokietgym of Thailand. The incredibly gifted 33-year-old Cuban southpaw improved to 14-0(9) with the quick, 1-minute 44-seconds win. 37-year-old Sod, also a southpaw, fell to 63-3-1(28).

Expected by just about everyone to win either late on or via somewhat dull decision (the knock on Rigondeaux is that he is defensive minded and boring to watch), the former two-time Olympic gold medallist instead put on a show of power punching. Before today’s fight – perhaps angry at having been rejected by a certain cable T.V giant who refused to take his most recent fight – Rigondeaux promised he’d be more explosive against Sod. The Cuban delivered.

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The case against the Boxing Purists

07/20/201407/19/2014 Philip Green

Boxing purists are a group of fans that like nothing better than to fawn over the defensive skills and ‘tactical mastery’ of fighters who most normal fans would simply describe as boring. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with appreciating the defensive aspects of the sport, boxing purists often look down on aggressive, come forward fighters who try to force the action as being one dimensional and lacking in genuine boxing skills.

Like a bunch of snooty College Professors they usually regard ‘lefty’ Southpaws to be inherently superior to Orthodox fighters, a belief which is as baseless as it is predictable. Purists are also some of the most vocal whiners and complainers when a close decision does not go their way and it is time their charges were rebuked.

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Golovkin-Geale conference call transcript

07/20/201407/18/2014 Gary Shaw Productions

TOM LOEFFLER: We are definitely excited about this event. I would like to thank some of the partners that we have for this event. Gary Shaw was very instrumental as Daniel Geale’s promoter for which we have a great-co-feature for this card at Madison Square Garden, the World’s Most Famous Arena, the Mecca of Boxing. We are very excited to be going into the big room for this fight. Without HBO and their financial support, we wouldn’t be able to put an event like this together. This is clearly the biggest test, the biggest name and the most experienced person that has been willing to get in the ring with Gennady, so far in his career. Geale is a two-time world champion – he won two world championship titles over in Germany, which is not the easiest thing to do. He beat two great fighters in Sturm and Stieglitz and the credentials he brings to the ring are impressive. We want to thank Gary and Team Geale for accepting the challenge. Gennady has been labeled as the fastest rising star in boxing and brings excitement every time he gets into the ring.

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How many people will order PPV to see Manny Pacquiao chase after Chris Algieri?

07/20/201407/18/2014 Vitali Shaposhnikov

While this type of question wouldn’t be a discussion to be had during Pacquiao’s peak years, his choice of opponents as well as his former dominating ring generalship have been on a decline, taking away from the thrill and exhilaration of his fights. In short, the action is simply no longer the same.

Of course Pacquiao is still one of the top fighters in the sport, and underestimating him will land one on the canvas.

But the anticipation of a raw knockout, a nonstop freight train style of offense that Pacquiao used to display, is now missing, making the PPV all about paying for the name, rather than the fireworks.

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“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” Press Tour Wraps Up In Los Angeles – Press Conference Quotes

07/18/201407/17/2014 Showtime Boxing

Eleven-time world champion Floyd Mayweather and former welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana held their fifth and final announcement press conference in Pershing Square in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday to formally discuss their highly anticipated rematch taking place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Thursday’s press event in Los Angeles concluded a whirlwind five-city, open-to-the-public promotional tour that saw the fighters visit the boxing hotbeds of New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Antonio.

With Mayweather speaking at the podium, a member of Maidana’s team was throwing t-shirts into the pro-Argentine crowd in an attempt to take the attention away from Mayweather. Numerous Argentinian flags waved in the air on a picture perfect afternoon that also happened to be Maidana’s 31st birthday.

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Joshua Clottey, Canelo’s next challenge

07/18/201407/17/2014 Michael Bauldrick

Former WBA/WBC light middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) looked competitive during his bout with Erislandy Lara at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. So much that he was awarded a 12 round controversial split decision over the Cuban champion in their catch-weight fight at 155 pounds, and solidifying himself as the best fighter at Jr. Welterweight.

After dealing with what most consider his “toughest opponent”, Alvarez is already seeking his next opponent. The majority of the boxing world is clamoring for a super fight with Middleweight Champion Miguel Cotto. However, if things don’t work out they way we want them to, several options are available for the young red headed star.

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