Europe:
James Slater
Mike Casey
Ezio Prapotnich
Andrew Harrison
Christine Maynard
Adeyinka Makinde
Michael Klimes
Jim Dorney
Andrew Walker
John Wight
United States:
Vivek Wallace Geoffrey Ciani
Coach Tim Walker
John G. Thompson
P.H. Burbridge
Paul Strauss Frank Gonzalez Jr
Wray Edwards
Pavel Yakovlev Jeff Meyers
Trish Kilcullen
Pete Madzelan
Scott Kraus
Robert Jackson
Thomas Scherr
Charles White
Yero Moody
Taj Eubanks
Karl E. H. Seigfried
Mike Dunn
NEWPORT BEACH, CA (September 2, 2010) – It’s the biggest celebration in the history of Mexico, and on Wednesday, September 15th, at the Las Vegas Hilton, the Mexican Bicentennial will bear witness to some fistic fireworks, as Roy Englebrecht Promotions, in association with Promociones del Pueblo and Corona Extra, presents a world championship doubleheader in The Theater at the Las Vegas Hilton that will air live to all of Mexico and Latin America via Televisa, as well as on Pay Per View in the United States. continue l
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By James Slater - There is a good chance Marco Huck, the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion, will get the fight he craves soon; perhaps in his very next outing. Ever since the Serbian-born 25-year-old lost via 12th-round TKO to current IBF 200-pound champion Steve Cunningham, back in 2007, he has thought almost constantly about the opportunity for revenge. Now, with both fighters being promoted by Sauerland, therefore making the fight a relatively easy one to make, Huck could be on the verge of getting what he wants. But what’s that old saying? Be careful what you wish for, it might come true!
Huck, 30-1(23) may get the return with Cunningham - who, since the win in December of 2007 has lost and then regained the IBF crown - but can he defeat the taller, cleverer fighter? continue l
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By James Slater - It’s just one in a number of great fights that can be made today in the talent-rich 140-pound weight class, but for some reason Amir Khan Vs. Marcos Maidana has captured the attention of the fans more than any other. For months now, the lethal banger from Argentina, who holds the interim version of the WBA light-welterweight title, has been “chasing” Khan, the full WBA champ, and the fans have been right there with him. continue l
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Exclusive interview by Charles C. White - Taking time out of his training schedule, heavyweight boxer Clarence Tillman (6-5-1 with 4 ko's) kindly answered all of my questions. After some early setbacks in his career, Tillman is looking to turn a new leaf and get back on track towards winning ways and greater opportunities. Here is what Clarence had to say...
Thanks for the interview Clarence. How are you today? - I'm doing just fine. It's a little cold here now but I'm good. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - As the old saying in boxing goes, styles make fights. If fighter A beats fighter B and fighter B beats fighter C, there is no guarantee that fighter A will beat fighter C. Styles make fights. Even though there are countless examples of this throughout boxing history, perception still plays an influential factor in molding the minds and opinions of boxing fans. A recent example would be when Shane Mosley was preparing to face Antonio Margarito. Mosley had already lost a decision against Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto, who himself was brutally beaten in a late round stoppage loss against Margarito. Going into the Margarito-Mosley fight, the perception was that Mosley was in a world of trouble and few were giving him a real chance against the iron-jawed Mexican. Only after the fight did it become commonplace to hear that Margarito was easy pickings for Mosley because of styles, but few were saying that prior to the fight. Of course, hindsight is 20-20, but perception and timing mean everything.
Continuing with the Margarito theme, Floyd Mayweather Senior used a similar line of reasoning on a recent episode of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (July 2010) when discussing a potential match-up between his son and Margarito: ” Well little Floyd really ain’t got to beat Margarito. Shane already beat Margarito and he beat Shane like a baby and Shane beat Margarito like a baby so there ain’t nothing to prove no more to be honest. I think that’s already solved.”continue l
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LOS ANGELES, September 1 – On a night celebrating the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence, it is only fitting that two Mexican warriors open up the star-studded September 18 pay-per-view telecast from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, as former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon of Chihuahua squares off against Ciudad Juarez native Antonio Escalante in what promises to be a bona-fide Fight of the Year candidate. continue l
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By James Slater - In breaking news, BBC Sport has revealed how the eagerly anticipated British and European middleweight title clash between champ Darren Barker and challenger and former European champ Matthew Macklin is off. The all-British fight was set to go ahead as part of promoter Frank Warren’s big “Magnificent Seven” show on September 18th in Birmingham, but Barker has apparently injured a hip in training and will be unable to fight as planned. continue l
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By Paul McCreath: On September 11 in Frankfurt Germany world heavyweight champion Wlad Klitschko puts his 3 title belts on the line against his mandatory challenger and former belt holder Sam Peter. Sam who is next in line replaces Alex Povetkin who had been the mandatory but declined to accept the fight. It is not the fight everyone except David Haye wants but it is still an attractive match, a rematch of a very exciting bout from 5 years ago.
No doubt the followers of both fighters are equally sure that their man will win and nothing I have to say will change their minds. Hopefully those of you who are neutral or at least have open minds will be given something to think about with my estimation of what might happen this time. continue l
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Boxing legend Evander Holyfield signalled the return of Prizefighter on Saturday 9 October after performing the draw for the Heavyweights IV.
The five-time World champion performed the draw in central London with a “wildcard” in the draw as promoters Matchroom Sport close in on a big name to complete the line-up for the 14th outing of Barry Hearn’s eight-man, one night tournament, live on Sky Sports – with the winner scooping £32,000.
Old rivals Matt Skelton and Michael Sprott could meet in the semi-finals on the night, potentially giving Sprott the chance to avenge two defeats against the former English, British European and Commonwealth champion Skelton – with Sprott returning to the ring for the first time since his last gasp knockout defeat to Audley Harrison in their European title bout in April.
Sprott faces Danny Hughes in the third quarter-final of the night, the Sunderland fighter who fought in the last Heavyweights outing, knocking out Neil Perkins in the quarter-finals before losing to Harrison in the semis. continue l
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Former Undisputed Welterweight and Junior Welterweight Champion Zab "Super" Judah (39-6, 27 KO's) of Brooklyn takes the next step in his quest to regain his Junior Welterweight Crown on Saturday, October 2nd, when he takes on Michael "Cold Blood" Clark (40-5-1, 18 KO's) of Columbus, Ohio at Newark's spectacular Prudential Center Arena. Tickets, priced at $53, $78, $103 and $200 go on sale today at "The Rock" Box Office and on Ticketmaster. continue l
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Irish Heavyweight Champion Coleman Barrett has thrown down the gauntlet to any prospective challengers and says he wants to be a busy champion. Barrett certainly has a busy schedule ahead of him having been added to the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at The National Stadium, Dublin on Saturday, September 11. Barrett will feature in a non title contest on the card which features a European title double header with Belfast's Brian Magee defending his European Super Middleweight crown against Roman Aramian while Kiko “La Sensación” Martinez also returns to Dublin as he bids to recapture the European Super Bantamweight crown against Arsen Martirosyan. continue l
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By James Slater - Yesterday, at a Beverly Hills press conference to get the ball rolling, hype-wise, for the November 13th battle between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, Pac-Man was asked simply and straightforwardly: “did Margarito know what was in his hand-wraps [before the Jan. 2009 loss to Shane Mosley?]”
Pacquiao answered after a short pause: “Absolutely. I know he knows that.”
So, the pound-for-pound king isn’t only going to face a cheat in his next fight, he is gong to fight someone he himself recognises as a cheat. However, Pacquiao said yesterday, in response to the question, “then why fight him?” that he believes in giving a person a second chance, and that “we’re just human.. continue l
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ARLINGTON, TX (August 31, 2010) – Ten-time world champions CONGRESSMAN MANNY PACQUIAO and ANTONIO MARGARITO, of the Philippines and México, respectively, collide in the most exciting and intriguing fight of the year with the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight championship and the No. 1 pound for pound title at stake.
Pacquiao and Margarito boast a combined record of 89-9-2 (65 KOs) -- a winning percentage of 89% and a victory by knockout ratio of 73%. continue l
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By James Slater - Though some fans will likely feel he is pushing his luck and running the risk of tarnishing his already considerable legacy, 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins is ready to square off with Father Time once more. As has been reported by ESPN.com, contracts have been exchanged and a December 18th fight between Hopkins and light-heavyweight king Jean Pascal is all but a done deal.
All that remains is for the Philly great to sign the contract. Everything has been agreed to on both sides. The fight will take place in Quebec, Canada, and will be televised live either on Showtime or on pay-per-view. continue l
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Every Wednesday ESB will feature a new published letter on ANY topic directly from hardcore fight fans just like you! For those fight fans who don't like what the average boxing scribe has to say, there's only one way to change that........SOUND OFF! Send all 'Open Mic Fan Mail' letters to wallace@eastsideboxing.com, and remember, there are 3 simple rules to the game: Keep content short and concise, profanity free, and don't hold back, the floor (and the mic) is yours! Today's letter comes to us from Javier O. of the "boogie down" Bronx, NYC:
Vivek,
Everybody keeps talking about why this fight shouldn't happen, and how it's bad for the sport, but I'm a long time boxing fan and I have a different view. I think this is the best fight to be made anywhere in the sport, and I really think that it's gonna be better than people think. continue l
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By James Slater - As fight fans know, Evander Holyfield, despite being a few weeks shy of his 48th birthday, refuses to call it a day and retire. “The Real Deal,” already a four-time heavyweight champion, feels very strongly he can rule for a fifth time.
A news story currently circulating the net has Holyfield, 43-10-2(28) talking about how he remains as the most well known heavyweight out there, and that the likes of the Klitschkos and David Haye have to face him in order to make money. continue l
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David Haye explains why the Klitschko fight isn't happening. On 3 April, Haye battered John Ruiz in his first title defence at the MEN Arena by TKO in the ninth round after knocking him down four times during the fight excluding a point deduction for hitting Ruiz on the back of his head in round one. This was only the second time Ruiz has been stopped, after being knocked out in round one by David Tua fourteen years prior to facing David Haye. After the fight, Haye immediately called on both Klitschko brothers, after claiming their recent challengers Eddie Chambers and Chris Arreola were a disgrace to boxing. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 88th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with reigning IBF/WBO heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs) who is scheduled to have a rematch against Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) on September 11. Klitschko and Peter first squared off almost five years ago in what was one of the more entertaining heavyweight fights in recent memory. Klitschko was officially dropped three times during the contest, but despite suffering multiple knockdowns, Klitschko persevered and overcame adversity. He was awarded a unanimous decision victory where all three judges scored the fight 114-111 in his favor. Most observers view this as a turning point in Klitschko’s career. Here is a complete transcript of the Klitschko interview:
JENNA J: Anyway guys, it’s time for our second guest of this week’s show. He is currently the reigning, defending Ring Magazine heavyweight champion of the world. We have Wladimir Klitschko. How’s everything going today, Wlad?
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO: Thank you. I’m doing just fine. How are you guys?
JENNA: I’m doing great. We’re definitely happy to be talking to you today, and I just wanted to ask you how your training has been going for your September 11 bout with Samuel ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Peter?
KLITSCHKO: The training is going very well as usual. So I just have another opponent and I have to adjust myself to this opponent with a strategy and tactic. Once in awhile, in the beginning, I had like kind of nightmares and they had like a little bit of a Nigerian taste in it, but after the first couple of weeks it got back to normal. So I’m sleeping well and recovering after workouts, so I’m looking forward to this September 11 fight. continue l
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Lightweight contender “Bam Bam” Brandon Rios (24-0-1, 18 KOs) of Oxnard, CA will step back into the ring on September 11 in a 12-round WBA lightweight title eliminator against Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KOs) of Washington, DC in the co-feature bout of HBO Boxing After Dark at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV. “This is the biggest and most important fight of my career so far. I’ve been training very, very hard and I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity,” said Rios. continue l
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MASHANTUCKET, CT (Aug. 31, 2010) – Former world title challenger “Sucra” Ray Oliveira returns to the ring October 2nd for the first time in more than five years against world rated light heavyweight Joey “KO Kid” Spina, headlining the “Last Man Standing” card, in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. “Last Man Standing” is being presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES), in association with Foxwoods Resort Casino. continue l
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By James Slater - 29-year-old Peter Manfredo Junior became a world champion for the first time in his ten-year, 35-6(19) career back in May, as he stopped the tough Angel Hernandez in the 10th-round. Soon after that important win, “The Pride of Providence” signed a deal with top promoter Lou DiBella. Now, with his name being put out there as a possible rival for the likes of former king Kelly Pavlik and the other belt-holders at 160-pounds, Manfredo is feeling hugely excited.
Calling Peter up to find out firsthand what the latest news is regarding who he will face next, I was given the following answers today.
The always-accommodating IBO middleweight champion had the following things to say:
James Slater: It’s always great to be able to speak with you, Peter. I’ve been reading quite a bit about you on the boxing sites. There is talk of a fight between you and Kelly Pavlik - can you tell us what’s the latest with you and your next fight?
Peter Manfredo: I’m supposed to fight the former middleweight champion of the world William Joppy next, in October. continue l
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NEW YORK (Aug. 30, 2010) – The World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight championship fight between undefeated titlist Juan Manuel “JuanMa” Lopez, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, and Rafael Marquez, of México City has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 6, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 12-round championship bout, originally set for Sept. 18, had to be rescheduled after Marquez injured his right thumb two weeks ago. continue l
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WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) faced off with former WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) today at a press-conference at o2 World Hamburg, Germany, where they will meet in the ring on Saturday, October 16. The ticket sale starts today at www.eventim.de where tickets are available from 50 euro. continue l
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COLOGNE, GERMANY (August 31, 2010) Middleweight contender Giovanni Lorenzo captured the interest of the sports media, fans and champion Felix Sturm on Monday afternoon in Cologne, Germany, by appearing at the final press conference wearing the jersey of local underdog soccer team, Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Lorenzo and Sturm will battle this Saturday night, September 4th at the Lanxess-Arena in Cologne for Sturm’s WBA Middleweight Title.
On Sunday afternoon, Lorenzo had watched as Gladbach defeated arch rival Bayer Leverkusen by a score of 6-3 in a major upset on Leverkusen’s home field. continue l
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By James Slater - In what could turn out to be a good, entertaining under-card bout, light-heavyweights Adrian Diaconu and Omar Sheika will clash on the Lucian Bute-Jesse Brinkley show set for October 15th in Montreal, Canada. While the main event looks like a reasonably straightforward win for the excellent and undefeated IBF 168-pound king (no disrespect to Brinkley, a guy who is as tough as they come and who will give it his best shot), Diaconu and Sheika may put on a lively affair for a few good rounds. continue l
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By James Slater - It’s official and it’s not surprising. The World Boxing Council, upon receiving a request from the Top Rank organisation to recognise the upcoming November 13th bout between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito as a fight that will contest the sanctioning bodies’ vacant light-middleweight title, voted unanimously to do so.
This move was widely expected, and now, in Texas, at the magnificent Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Filipino legend and the disgraced Mexican will swap blows in an effort to decide who picks up the belt that was vacated by Sergio Martinez of Argentina. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 88th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with reigning WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (30-1, 23 KOs), who is recently coming off of a fifth round knockout victory against Matt Godfrey (20-2, 10 KOs). It is rumored that Huck will partake in a cruiserweight tournament that is expected to begin sometime before the end of the year. Huck spoke about his recent victory, his career, his views on a potential cruiserweight tournament, his future in the sport, and various other topics pertaining to the current boxing landscape. Here is a complete transcript of what he had to say:
JENNA J: It is actually time for our first guest on this week’s episode. He is currently the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion. We have Marco Huck joining us for the very first time. How is everything going today Marco?
MARCO HUCK: Everything is great. I’ve once again proven my class last weekend and I’ve proven that I am the best. continue l
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By Neil Dennis - In this the inaugural fight card of a series co-promoted by Daryl DeCroix Promotions and X-Cel Worldwide, several hundred people in attendance were repeatedly roused out of their seats with a wealth of thrilling highlight-reel moments. And after the fans were warmed up with a pair of amateur MMA fights and a first round knockout for MMA fighter John Curtis over Keith “Bad News” Bell, things really got down to business.
Among the early fights, a pair of freight trains ran through their opponents like they were motorists stuck on the tracks. First, heavyweight Maurice “Freight Train” Byarm beat down on Earl Ramon Hayes. Coming out to Queen’s “I Want It All”, Byarm got it all from start to finish. In the second round, Byarm kept Hayes in a neutral corner for almost the entire round, unloading at will with everything in the book. continue l
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The Hitz Boxing event scheduled for October 2 at the "Venue" in the Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, Indiana, will feature several prominent Chicago-based fighters in addition to Irish middleweight prospect Andy Lee (22-1, 16 KOs). Scheduled to see action at the latest installment of "Fight Night at the Horseshoe" are comebacking middleweight "Macho" Miguel Hernandez (20-11, 10 KO's), blood-and-guts junior middleweight Henry "Western Warrior" Coyle (11-2, 10 KOs), talented welterweight Achour Esho (8-0, 5 KOs), middleweight knockout artist Josh Crouch (6-1, 6 KOs) and up-and-coming light welterweight Russell Fiore (4-0-1, 4 KOs). continue l
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by Jenna J - As always, this week's 88th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (featuring Wladimir Klitschko and Marco Huck) will start at its regularly scheduled time, 6:00pm Eastern Time. You can listen live by clicking “play” on the player or click here to listen and enter our chat on the blogtalk message board; you can also call into the show at (646)716-5404.
On the Ropes Boxing Radio is back to bring you the latest and greatest in the world of boxing! Join me Jenna J, the Hostess, along with my amazing Producer and Co-Host, Geoffrey Ciani (aka-Rummy).
By Robert Jackson: Once again the boxing fan in me has been let down, first and second Mayweather/Pacquiao failed to bear fruit and now…’Lights Out’ had his lights turned out. UFC chief Dana White has to be licking his chops with the successful minimization of boxing – via the submission loss of James Toney to Randy Couture, and the twice unmade Mayweather/Pacquiao fight, and to top it off the reduction of Internet Star Kimbo Slice’ roar to a whimper as Kimbo failed miserably in his foray into professional Mixed Martial Arts competition. Have these 4 events put MMA and specifically the UFC in the ‘driver’s seat’ of COMBAT Sports? continue l
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By James Slater - There are three pretty big boxing news items currently circulating on the net. Firstly, Shannon Briggs, who will challenge WBC heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko in Germany on October 16th, said today at a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, that he will make “Dr. Steel Hammer” his “30-second first-round KO victim.”
Briggs, 38 and having won his last three bouts via 1st-round KO, says a lot of his fights tend to end in quick time, and that this will be the case in October. “The Cannon,” 51-5-1(45) also told the gathered media that it was Klitschko who inspired him to make the comeback he set out on after his poor showing against Sultan Ibragimov. continue l
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NEW YORK (August 30, 2010) – Ten-time world champions Congressman MANNY “PacMan” PACQUIAO and The Tijuana Tornado ANTONIO MARGARITO, their respective trainers FREDDIE ROACH and ROBERT GARCIA, along with Hall of Fame promoter BOB ARUM, will host a news conference luncheon to announce PACQUIAO vs. MARGARITO World Super Welterweight Championship. The news conference, which is open to the public, will be held at the Chelsea Piers – Pier 60 (23rd St. & The Hudson River, New York, NY 10011), This Wednesday! September 1. Media Report Time is 11:30 a.m. ET with the news conference beginning promptly at Noon. Lunch will be served to media following the news conference. continue l
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By James Slater - Unbeaten heavyweight hope Tyson Fury will now apparently face Donnell “The Real Touch Of Sleep” Holmes in his U.S TV debut. Originally set to take a step up in class against tough and durable Jason Gavern in his fight to be shown on Showbox: the next generation on September 10th, the 22-year-old will now box the 37-year-old with the impressive-looking 32-1-2(28) pro record. continue l
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By James Slater - Interim WBA light-welterweight champ Marcos Maidana, despite having to overcome a much tougher challenge from DeMarcus Corley than expected, has lost none of the belief that he will knock out “real” WBA ruler Amir Khan next. If he can get him into the ring, that is.
Maidana, who improved to 29-1(27) with the gruelling points win over “Chop Chop,” looked to be on the verge of exhaustion in the later rounds, as veteran Corley fought one last great fight. Hanging on to clinch the unanimous decision victory, the Argentine kept alive his chances of facing big star Khan next. continue l
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Barry T. (Brooklyn, NYC): There was a recent article on Yahoo! Sports blaming Manny Pacquiao for Margarito's past problems. I understand some of your position on the testing demands, but why do you writers feel a need to blame him for Margarito's mess?
Vivek W. (ESB): After receiving your question I took the time to actually read Kevin Iole's article. Although I can't give unequivocal support to his position, I can completely agree with the thought process he used in making certain points. I walked away from the article feeling that he could have chosen a better selection of words in some spots, but in his defense, me using a more 'polite' verbiage to convey similar points in the past resulted in the same type of backlash he now encounters, so can I say he was wrong? I'm afraid not. continue l
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By Ezio Prapotnich - If the great Max Schmeling was to give his advice to the Klitschko brothers today, he would probably tell them that in order to succeed you don’t necessarily have to go to America, as long as you get TV exposure. Fact is that society has evolved quickly in the past 50 years on the technological level, although not always in a positive way, and our lifestyle changed accordingly. All forms of art are but an expression of the society of their time. The Noble Art is no exception. continue l
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by James Slater - James "Lights Out" Toney said he would be back in a boxing ring in October, defending his IBA heavyweight title, whether he won or lost his MMA debut against Randy "The Natural" Couture. Well, Toney lost last night, and he lost in less than four minutes of the very first round of his "Boxing Vs. MMA" bout against the 47-year-old Couture. In stealing a line Ring magazine wrote about Ricky Hatton after he'd stuggled in his welterweight debut and was urged to run, not walk back down to 140-pounds, I express how Toney must now surely entertain no further thoughts of participating in any other combat sport but The Sweet Science!
The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer never really had too much of a chance going into last night's curiosity bout in Boston, yet some fans, myself included, expected him to at least last past the 1st-round and maybe, just maybe, test Couture's chin in the process. continue l
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By John G. Thompson: Hammerin’ Hank Lundy 19-1 (10 KO’s) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania put on a clinic of skill and speed in an attempt to regain credibility following his sole defeat less than two months ago. Omri Lowther 14-2 (10 KO’s) of Toronto proved no real test at the Metropolis in Montreal, Canada. Lundy shut out Lowther on two of the three judges’ score cards earning a ten round unanimous decision. However, Lundy failed to make weight, coming in one pound overweight (at 140 lbs), forfeiting twenty percent of his purse, even though he took the fight only about four days’ notice. continue l
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By Jesse Ramos: WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO's) went life and death with former WBO light welterweight champion DeMarcus Corley (37-14-1, 22 KO's) on Saturday night, beating him by an unimpressive 12 round unanimous decision at the Estadio Luna Park, in Buenos Aires, Destrito Federal, Argentina. The final judges' scores were 117-111, 115-112 and 116-110. Maidana looked to have won the fight by two or three rounds. It was a closer than I thought it would be, but a lot of credit has to go to Corley. continue l
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By Rob Smith: In James Toney's first fight in the UFC, he was dominated and easily taken out by Randy Couture tonight in the 1st round. Toney was taken down and then wrapped up quickly in a choke that he had no clue how to get out of. Toney then tapped out rather than being choked out. The referee stopped the one-sided match at 3:19. Toney didn't have the wrestling skills to compete. Had this been a stand up fight, he would easily won but MMA is mostly wrestling and submission holds and it takes too long to learn how to beat the better fighters like Couture. Toney never really had a chance because the 47-year-old Couture didn't even try to do any stand up fighting. Instead, Couture took Toney down immediately and then chocked him. Couture is a former Olympic wrestler. Toney never had a chance in this fight if you want to call it that. It's wrestling. This is what Toney gets for trying wrestle with an expert like Couture. It would be interesting to see if Couture would agree to a straight up three round boxing match. My guess he won't even consider it. Toney would slaughter the old guy, as well as other MMA fighter in the sport. l
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By Jesse Ramos: WBO light flyweight champion Ivan Calderon (34-1-1, 6 KO's) met someone tonight in WBA super light flyweight champion Giovanni Segura (25-1-1, 21 Ko's) that was too strong for him and young enough to track him down and batter him into an 8th round stoppage at the Coliseo Mario 'Quijote' Morales, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Segura took Calderon out with a left to the midsection in the 8th. The fight was officially stopped at 1:34 of the 8th. It stopped being competitive after the 5th, when Segura's power started showing itself more and more in the fight. Calderon used his feet well in the first part of the bout, as he skillfully was able to dodge Segura's attacks like a matador facing an angry bull. Although Calderon had been able to defeat big sluggers like Rodel Mayol and Hugo Fidel Cazares in the past, but Segura was a lot tougher because of his pressure. You could tell that Segura was going to get to Calderon sooner or later to take him out. Sure enough, Segura chopped Calderon down with a beautiful body shot in the 8th to get the win. This wasn't a fluke thing. Segura was clearly too strong for the smaller Calderon. l
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Sam Peter (34-3, 27 KOs), is in his final week of training camp in the high altitude of Big Bear, Calif. A native of Nigeria, now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., Peter will break camp on September 2 and head to Frankfurt, Germany to challenge IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs.) Promoted by KMG and K2, in association with Top Rank, Klitschko vs. Peter will take place Saturday, September 11 at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt
This is a big day. Samuel peter has been training for weeks in Big Bear for the opportunity for fight Wladimir Klitschko in Frankfurt. Germany. He is here with his long time manager Ivaylo Gotsev, his trainer Abel Sanchez and Tom Loeffler from K2 Promotions who will tell us about the September event in Germany. continue l
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By James Slater - Tonight, a crossover “Boxing Vs. MMA” clash that has drawn a ton of attention from fans of both combat sports, finally takes place. For months now we’ve heard Toney say what he’s gonna do, we’ve heard the less vocal Couture say what he plans to do to stop Toney doing what he says he’ll do (namely “rip Couture’s head off his shoulders!”) and we’ve heard from the fans; some of whom are excited about the fight, others who are looking ahead to nothing but a “freak show.. continue l
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By James Slater - There seems to be a very good chance former middleweight king Kelly Pavlik will fight again, for the first time since his tough and bloody points loss to Sergio Gabriel Martinez, on the under-card of the recently-made-official Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight in Texas.
Promoter Bob Arum has said the inclusion of Youngstown’s finest is a possibility, and for what it’s worth Boxrec.com have “The Ghost” down as facing a TBA on Nov. 13th. Hopefully, on a card that is sure to be met with a ton of controversy (for quite obvious reasons), this honest, hardworking and exciting warrior will indeed fight, so as to remind us all what is so great about the sport of boxing. continue l
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By James Slater - A while ago, former light-heavyweight king Antonio Tarver announced how he will be resuming his career later this year, as a heavyweight. As soon as “The Magic Man” publicly announced his plans, the majority of fans let it be known how they felt: that the 41-year-old has one tough challenge ahead of him if he’s to get anywhere close to the top of his new weight class.
And though Tarver, 27-6(19) overall but winless in his last two outings, has the height and reach needed to be able to cut it with the bigger men (Antonio stands 6’2” and has a reach of 75”), his critics point to his age, lack of recent activity (just two fights in two years) and his faded reflexes. continue l
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By Thomas Scherr - Saturday night at the Morgantown Event Center in the Water Hotel in Morgantown WV, Matt Berkshire (12-2-2, 5 KO’s) will fight Vance Garvin in the main event. This is a rematch of a fight that occurred on May 7th. Their first fight was a classic that saw both men knocked down twice en route to a controversial 8 round draw. Garvey, a grizzled veteran of 45 fights came out quickly and seemed to surprised the less experience Berkshire. Garvey’s work rate and constant pressure was rewarded in the second round, as he floored Berkshire. continue l
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British heavyweight champion Derek Chisora says he'll fight Audley Harrison if David Haye is not man enough. Haye and Harrison are bickering in the press ahead of a possible showdown later this year, but Del Boy has told Haye to put up or shut up - or he'll step in. "Make your mind up Haye, because I'll quite easily knock out Harrison if you can't do it," said Chisora. "You are running away from the Klitschko brothers like a thief in the night, if you can't beat a powder-puff like Harrison, you should pack up. "Harrison still hasn't won the British title that he promised to do inside eight fights when he turned pro. continue l
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Monica Sears - Welcome to today's call. I just want to give a quick rundown of everyone that is joining us today. We have President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya. On Victor Ortiz's team we have obviously, "Vicious" Victor, his head trainer Danny Garcia and his manager Rolando Arellano. On Vivian Harris' side we have Vivian, his head coach Delen Parsley, also known as "Blimp," and his manager, Greg Leon.
Without any further ado I'm going to let Oscar give everyone the rundown on this great card we have coming up September 18th. continue l
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By James Slater - It was all over the internet boxing sites a few days ago, how superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior had been hanging with the rich and famous, and how he mentioned to one high roller in particular how his next fight will be in Dubai, not in Las Vegas, and that he will be making an announcement soon. Seeing as how everything “Money” says these days makes the news, the promise of his having a next fight all set to be made official naturally got fight fans excited. But just who will Mayweather face next, and will he really fight in as exotic a local as Dubai?
Mayweather, a natural when it comes to knowing how and when to grab the headlines, will have been reading all about the Pacquiao-Margarito thing the same way we all have, and now that that fight is signed sealed and delivered (for good or for bad, depending on your opinion) it’s a good bet “Money” would love to upstage that news with some of his own. Should Mayweather announce in the next few days that he is going to fight a big and well known name in Dubai before the year is out, Floyd would surely steal the headlines once again; the way he did when he announced he was to fight Shane Mosley earlier this year. continue l
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Nottingham's Carl 'the cobra' Froch will be proudly visiting the Nottingham Forest city ground this coming Saturday and will be taking a special guest along - his 10 week old son Rocco. Froch's little fighter will also be presented with his own personalised Nottingham Forest football kit when the pair appear in-store between 12pm – 1pm on Saturday and his doting father is looking forward to the occasion. continue l
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By James Slater - Unbeaten British heavyweight Derek “Del Boy” Chisora, the man who ended the career of another Brit in Danny Williams a few months back, has given David Haye an offer: to make up his mind and decide whether or not he will face Audley Harrison next, or let him go in with “A-Force” instead.
Chisora, the reigning British champion and 13-0(8) as a pro, takes on old foe Sam Sexton on September 18th, in a fight that will also contest Sexton’s Commonwealth belt, and Chisora clearly feels he will have no trouble handing Sexton a second defeat (he stopped Sam in the 6th-round back in 2008). continue l
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By Vivek Wallace: When it comes to fighting sports, none on the radar come close to the rich history of boxing. From yester-years 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, and Muhammad Ali, to Leonard, Tyson, Mayweather, Pacquiao, and beyond; every step of the way, those who have a keen interest in the 'art of war' have identified strongly with boxing as their primary source. Recently, the evolution of fighting sports reached a crescendo when the UFC/MMA movement gained steam, taking basic fighting sports to another level. From the inception of the UFC/MMA circuit, fans of both arts have questioned which side is more substantive. One fan base arguing principles and methodology, the other placing their weight on the argument of highly skilled practices and an 'ultimate warrior' mentality.
This coming Saturday night, the two contrasting worlds will collide when master boxer James Toney (72-6-3, 44KO's) squares off against Randy Couture (18-10, 7KO's). Despite the vastly different worlds these two men hail from, a snapshot of their professional resumes give quite a bit to ponder, James Toney's in particular. Some view Toney as a washed up older athlete with little left to offer, but in classic throwback fashion, he remains one of the few men in fighting sports today with more than 80 fights under his belt. continue l
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By James Slater - As fans everywhere now know, disgraced Mexican and former welterweight champ Antonio Margarito has been given the permission by the state of Texas to fight there, against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on November 13th. Top Rank boss Bob Arum is delighted, as is the fighter himself, and work in earnest has now begun on setting the under-card for the big event to take place at Dallas Cowboys stadium. continue l
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LOS ANGELES, August 26 - Host to a new wave of world-class fighters, Canada has become a hotbed of boxing talent and today, Golden Boy Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of their first Canadian-born boxer, unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Mikael Zewski (4-0, 3 KO's). "This is an exciting day in the history of Golden Boy Promotions as we are pleased to welcome Mikael Zewski, our first Canadian boxer, to the team," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "With packed arenas and some of the game's most exciting fighters emerging from around the country, the Canadian boxing market is exploding. We believe we have one of those exciting fighters in Mikael and we're expecting big things from him in the coming years.. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 87th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with former three division champion and future Hall of Famer, Sugar Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs) who is preparing to fight Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6 KOs) on September 18 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The fight will be available on HBO PPV. Following the fight, there will be an after party/birthday celebration (Shane turns 39 on September 7) at the ESPN Zone across the street from Staples Center hosted by actors Cuba Gooding Junior and Larenz Tate. Shane will be fielding fan questions and is giving away tickets on his Twitter. (You can follow him @sugarshanem and his team @mosleytribe for all the up to date info). Here is what Sugar Shane had to say about his upcoming fight and other matters pertaining to the current boxing landscape.
JENNA J: Alright everybody, we are back with Sugar Shane Mosley returning to On the Ropes for the fourth time. How’s everything going today, Shane?
SHANE MOSLEY: Everything’s going great. I’m feeling good. I’m still working hard and training hard. Right now we’re just getting ready for this fight. continue l
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HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 26, 2010) – Five-time world champion in three different weight classes, Erik “Terrible” Morales, continues his heralded comeback September 11 headlining the “Mexican Fiesta” pay-per-view show live from Mexico City. Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council, will also continue a tradition by fighting outdoors in the famous Plaza de Toros bull ring against WBU champion Willie “Hands of Steel” Limond (33-2, 8 KOs) for the vacant WBC Diamond Super Lightweight Championship. continue l
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By James Slater: It looks as though unbeaten British heavyweight hope Tyson Fury, 11-0(9), will meet his first American opponent in his next fight - set for York Hall, London next month. According to BBC Sport and Boxrec, the 6’7” Fury, still only 22, will make his American T.V debut on Showbox: the new generation, on September 10th - against tough and experienced 33-year-old Jason Gavern of Virginia. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) will defend his title against Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) on October 16 in Germany. Most observers are not giving Briggs much of a chance in this one. In fact, many are expecting a vintage performance from Dr. Iron Fist whereby he slowly wears Briggs down both mentally and physically throughout the fight en route to a wide points victory or late round stoppage. It is widely believed that Briggs has no more than a puncher’s chance and that Klitschko has what it takes to weather the storm in the event Briggs lands anything big early.
Despite views from the majority, Shannon Briggs represents a significant threat to Vitali Klitschko, and perhaps even his most dangerous foe available. Ever since he returned from an almost four year layoff to win back the WBC title from Sam Peter in October 2008, Vitali has shown a slow but steady decline in subsequent fights. Klitschko exhibited several chinks in his armor in victories against Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Arreola, and most recently the unheralded Albert Sosnowski. Klitschko ultimately stopped these three in the later rounds. He also won a lopsided unanimous decision against a rather uninspired Kevin Johnson during this period. continue l
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By Rob Smith: Dan Rafael is reporting that Antonio Margarito has received his boxing license to fight in Texas. This now frees Margarito up to fight Manny Pacquiao in Texas. Bob Arum, the Top Rank promoter for both Pacquiao and Margarito, will no doubt move forward to place their fight at the Cowboy Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. Arum thinks that 70,000 tickets will be sold for that fight. Let's hope he's right, because this isn't a competitive fight on paper and Margarito has looked very average in his last two fights. I can see a scenario where this fight does even worse than Pacquiao's last fight against fellow Top Rank fighter Joshua Clottey last March. It's hard to see Margarito being anything more than a punching bag for Pacquiao. What's even worse, is that the fight will be held at a catch weight of 151 for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title. That's right, another catch weight fight for Pacquiao involving a title. I can't believe this is even allowed. continue l
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By James Slater - Although it probably won’t make those fans who feel he is in store for his third beating in a row from a Klitschko, Samuel Peter is at least working very hard as he gets ready for his Sept.11th return with Wladimir Klitschko. Peter, still only 29, and having won his last four bouts, all by stoppage, appeared to lose his way in a major way back in 2008. Losing, in somewhat pathetic fashion to Vitali Klitschko and then Eddie Chambers, an overweight Peter was all but written off by fans and experts alike.
However, somewhere along the line, most likely after his points loss to “Fast” Eddie - a fight in which Peter weighed a career-heavy 265-pounds - the former WBC heavyweight champ made the decision to knuckle down, resume working hard and give it a real go at becoming champ all over again. continue l
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By James Slater - There is a good chance Marco Huck, the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion, will get the fight he craves soon; perhaps in his very next outing. Ever since the Serbian-born 25-year-old lost via 12th-round TKO to current IBF 200-pound champion Steve Cunningham, back in 2007, he has thought almost constantly about the opportunity for revenge. Now, with both fighters being promoted by Sauerland, therefore making the fight a relatively easy one to make, Huck could be on the verge of getting what he wants. But what’s that old saying? Be careful what you wish for, it might come true!
by Geoffrey Ciani - As the old saying in boxing goes, styles make fights. If fighter A beats fighter B and fighter B beats fighter C, there is no guarantee that fighter A will beat fighter C. Styles make fights. Even though there are countless examples of this throughout boxing history, perception still plays an influential factor in molding the minds and opinions of boxing fans. A recent example would be when Shane Mosley was preparing to face Antonio Margarito. Mosley had already lost a decision against Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto, who himself was brutally beaten in a late round stoppage loss against Margarito. Going into the Margarito-Mosley fight, the perception was that Mosley was in a world of trouble and few were giving him a real chance against the iron-jawed Mexican. Only after the fight did it become commonplace to hear that Margarito was easy pickings for Mosley because of styles, but few were saying that prior to the fight. Of course, hindsight is 20-20, but perception and timing mean everything.
Boxing legend Evander Holyfield signalled the return of Prizefighter on Saturday 9 October after performing the draw for the Heavyweights IV.
By James Slater - Yesterday, at a Beverly Hills press conference to get the ball rolling, hype-wise, for the November 13th battle between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, Pac-Man was asked simply and straightforwardly: “did Margarito know what was in his hand-wraps [before the Jan. 2009 loss to Shane Mosley?]”
Every Wednesday ESB will feature a new published letter on ANY topic directly from hardcore fight fans just like you! For those fight fans who don't like what the average boxing scribe has to say, there's only one way to change that........SOUND OFF! Send all 'Open Mic Fan Mail' letters to wallace@eastsideboxing.com, and remember, there are 3 simple rules to the game: Keep content short and concise, profanity free, and don't hold back, the floor (and the mic) is yours! Today's letter comes to us from Javier O. of the "boogie down" Bronx, NYC:
by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 88th edition of 
By James Slater - 29-year-old Peter Manfredo Junior became a world champion for the first time in his ten-year, 35-6(19) career back in May, as he stopped the tough Angel Hernandez in the 10th-round. Soon after that important win, “The Pride of Providence” signed a deal with top promoter Lou DiBella. Now, with his name being put out there as a possible rival for the likes of former king Kelly Pavlik and the other belt-holders at 160-pounds, Manfredo is feeling hugely excited.
COLOGNE, GERMANY (August 31, 2010) Middleweight contender Giovanni Lorenzo captured the interest of the sports media, fans and champion Felix Sturm on Monday afternoon in Cologne, Germany, by appearing at the final press conference wearing the jersey of local underdog soccer team, Borussia Mönchengladbach. 
by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 88th edition of 
by Jenna J - As always, this week's 88th edition of 
By James Slater - It was all over the internet boxing sites a few days ago, how superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior had been hanging with the rich and famous, and how he mentioned to one high roller in particular how his next fight will be in Dubai, not in Las Vegas, and that he will be making an announcement soon. Seeing as how everything “Money” says these days makes the news, the promise of his having a next fight all set to be made official naturally got fight fans excited. But just who will Mayweather face next, and will he really fight in as exotic a local as Dubai?
By Vivek Wallace: When it comes to fighting sports, none on the radar come close to the rich history of boxing. From yester-years 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, and Muhammad Ali, to Leonard, Tyson, Mayweather, Pacquiao, and beyond; every step of the way, those who have a keen interest in the 'art of war' have identified strongly with boxing as their primary source. Recently, the evolution of fighting sports reached a crescendo when the UFC/MMA movement gained steam, taking basic fighting sports to another level. From the inception of the UFC/MMA circuit, fans of both arts have questioned which side is more substantive. One fan base arguing principles and methodology, the other placing their weight on the argument of highly skilled practices and an 'ultimate warrior' mentality.
by Geoffrey Ciani - This week’s 87th edition of 
by Geoffrey Ciani - WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) will defend his title against Shannon Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) on October 16 in Germany. Most observers are not giving Briggs much of a chance in this one. In fact, many are expecting a vintage performance from Dr. Iron Fist whereby he slowly wears Briggs down both mentally and physically throughout the fight en route to a wide points victory or late round stoppage. It is widely believed that Briggs has no more than a puncher’s chance and that Klitschko has what it takes to weather the storm in the event Briggs lands anything big early.