Who Has The Best (If Any) Chance In His Upcoming Fight With A Klitschko – Manuel Charr Or Mariusz Wach?

Who Has The Best (If Any) Chance In His Upcoming Fight With A Klitschko - Manuel Charr Or Mariusz Wach?by James Slater – The two reigning heavyweight kings the Klitschkos, Wladimir and Vitali, are so good and so all-conquering, it’s got to the point where both men are having to search incredibly hard for their next acceptable challenger.

In fact, if you ask some fans, some harsher critics, neither sibling has actually managed to find an acceptable challenger for his next outing. Wladimir, the Ring Magazine, WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO ruler will face unbeaten but largely untested Pole Mariusz Wach, while WBC king Vitali will face the even less tested but also unbeaten Manuel Charr of Beirut.

Let’s take a look and decide which of the two massive outsiders has the best shot, the best prayer, the best hope of being blessed with a miracle in the coming months.

27-year-old Charr, 21-0(11) gets his chance first, on September 8th in Moscow. Smaller than Vitali, possessing only a fraction of “Dr. Iron Fist’s” punching power and experience, Charr, known as “Diamond Boy,” looks to have only one chance in my opinion: that Vitali, all 41-years of him, either suddenly grows old in the ring or suffers an injury (okay, that’s two chances Charr has!)

read more

WBA’s Idea To Bring In New Scoring System A Good Idea: Proposed Half-Point Scoring Makes Sense

By James Slater – Earlier this week, invaluable news outlet Fightnews.com reported on a story that says the WBA will soon bring in a new system of fight-scoring that the organisation hopes will cut short the seemingly growing number of controversially-scored bouts.

The WBA is planning to bring in a system whereby if a round of a fight is close, the winner, instead of receiving a 10-9 tally, will only receive a score of 10-9.5. If, however, fighter A wins the round big (but doesn’t score a knockdown) he will win by the old way of 10-9. Naturally, if either fighter does score a knockdown, he will win the round 10-8.

This idea, in my opinion, makes sense – at least on paper.

read more

Wach to challenge Wladimir on November 10th in Hamburg

By Michael Collins: IBO/IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (58-3, 51 KO’s) defends his titles on November 10th against the biggest opponent of his career in 6’7 1/2″ Mariusz Wach (27-0, 15 KO’s) of Poland at the O2 World Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany. Wladimir, 36, is simply running out of suitable heavyweights for him to fight, hence the choice of the unproven 32-year-old Wach for his next opponent instead of someone with at least a tiny bit of experience at the world level.

read more

Odlanier Solis Keeping Busy With Willie Herring Eight-Rounder On Adamek-Walker Card

Odlanier SolisBy James Slater – His promoter, Ahmet Oner insists he is the most talented heavyweight out there today, as well as being the biggest threat to the Klitschkos (Vitali especially) and a number of fans agree that an in-shape Odlanier Solis would give any fighter a hard time. The well documented problem, however, is getting Cuba’s Solis in shape!

An exceptional amateur, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Solis has had a tough time getting below the 250-pound mark ever since his defection from his homeland. “La Sombra” did get down to 246 for his disastrous WBC title challenge of Vitali Klitschko, but a knee injury felled him in a massively disappointing 2 minutes and 59-seconds. David Haye, for one critic, put the knee injury down to the excess weight Solis’ joints had been forced to carry.

Since the humiliating loss (and the surgery and subsequent recuperation that came after), Solis has kept a low profile; leaving Oner to do the tough talking. Winning just one fight since the March 2011 loss to “Dr. Iron Fist” (a workman-like 12-round UD victory over Konstantin Airich this past May), the 32-year-old gets back in the ring in September, on the Tomasz Adamek-Travis Walker card in Newark, New Jersey.

read more

Nigel Benn: Great Britain’s Most Exciting Fighter Of The ‘80s and ‘90s!

Nigel BennBy James Slater – As those fans who were lucky enough to have seen him fight live, in the flesh (really lucky!) or from their armchair (must-see T.V!), Great Britain’s great middleweight/super-middleweight Nigel Benn rarely if ever disappointed in the action stakes.

Today, long after “The Dark Destroyer’s” final fight (a disappointing corner retirement loss to a Steve Collins who twice caught up with Benn at a time when he was way past his best) fans on both sides of The Atlantic remain interested in the whole Benn mystique. Far more than just a slugger (although Benn’s power was legendary), Nigel had heart, guts, skill and a far better chin than it was once thought (“this man ain’t chinny!” insisted former arch-rival Chris Eubank after the first of their two epic encounters had just come to it’s violent conclusion.)

There really was plenty to enjoy when Benn was in action:

Who can forget his amazing Oct. 1988 battle with Jamaican-born Anthony Logan? Defending his Commonwealth middleweight title for the first time, Benn almost came a cropper.

read more

TMT Approached Miguel Cotto, He Declined Their Offer

By Vitali Shaposhnikov: TMT Promotions have gained a ton of respect due to their aggressive marketing and signing of great new as well as seasoned talent. 50 Cent along with Floyd Mayweather Jr. are making a statement in the sport of boxing, and are now a direct competition to the bog boy in the promotional game, such as Golden Boy Promotions and top Rank.

read more

James Kirkland Wants Out Of His Golden Boy Contract, Wants To Part Ways With Trainers Ann Wolf, Pops Billingsley

By James Slater: In a surprising development, exciting southpaw slugger James Kirkland has had his lawyer file a lawsuit against his current promoters Golden Boy and his two trainers, Ann Wolf and Pops Billingsley. The news has been reported by Ringtv.com, and Kirkland, inactive since his poor performance of a DQ win over Carlos Molina (back in March of this year), may well remain on the shelf, tied up with legal wrangling as he tries to part ways with his current team.

read more