By James Slater: As fans may well have read, a cracking doubleheader will go down at The Home Depot Centre in Carson, CA on October 13th (HBO to televise) – as pound-for-pound standout Nonito Donaire will face the dangerous and talented Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan and unbeaten duo Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado will clash in what many expect will be a FOTY candidate.
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Oosthuizen’s team says no to Froch fight
By Michael Collins: The team of unbeaten super middleweight contender Thomas Oosthuizen (20-0-1, 13 KO’s) has reportedly said no to a match-up against IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch for November. It’s unclear why Oosthuizen’s team don’t want the fight but it likely comes to one of several things: Money, venue or readiness for the fight.
Brian Mitchell, the manager for the 6’4″ South African Oosthuizen, said to Sowetanlive.co.za “We’ve turned down that fight. Oosthuizen is a potential superstar…It’s proper that [promoter] Lou Dibella will feature him in Shobox. The American boxing public just loves Tommy.”
James Toney Says U.S 2012 Olympic Team Was The “Worst Ever” – Lights Out Also Calls Out Tyson Fury
By James Slater: James Toney, never a man to be lost for words, has launched a scathing attack on his country’s efforts at winning Olympic medals in boxing at London 2012. Speaking with Reuters, the 43-year-old former multi-weight king says the team that failed to win a single medal was “the worst ever.”
Do Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr. really need Roach and Roger?
By Vitali Shaposhnikov: It is not a secret that talent is always present in one’s genetics, but bringing it to light takes a special person, and more importantly the right kind of attitude and preparation.
Exclusive Interview: Travis Walker On The Adamek Fight – “This Fight Will Be Like A Volkswagen Being Ran Over By A Freight Train!”
By James Slater: No stranger to having to do things the hard way, honest, hardworking pro Travis Walker of Houston, Texas has had big opportunities come his way before, only for the 33-year-old, 6’4,” approx 250-pound banger to either fall short or go home feeling as though he was hard done by.
In compiling his 39-7-1(31) ledger, the powerful but sometimes shaky-chinned “Freight Train” has been stopped by Chris Arreola (after scoring a knockdown of his own in a tasty three-round slugfest), he has been blown away inside a round by Manuel Quezda (“a shot I never saw coming.”) and he has dropped a close, debatable decision to Ruslan Chagaev (“I know I won that one.”)
The softly spoken Walker has also been stopped by T.J Wilson (a premature stoppage, later avenged), Johnathon Banks and, in a fight that received far less acclaim than it should have done, Alex Leapai, in what was another premature stoppage, this time to a great up-and-down battle.
But throughout it all, Walker has never given up. After losing an exhausting 12-rounder with Kubrat Pulev last October, Walker finally bagged a big victory: an upset 6th-round TKO over Kali Meehan in Australia this March (“My biggest win to date, but my best win will come September 8th!”) and now he has a massive opportunity against Tomasz Adamek on September 8th.
Can Magomed Abdusalamov Take Out “Big Time” Jameel McCline?
By James Slater – According to a number of boxing web sites (I read it on FigoSport.com), unbeaten Russian banger Magomed Abdusalamov will face experienced former four-time heavyweight title challenger Jameel “Big Time” McCline on the under-card of Vitali Klitschko-Manuel Charr in Moscow on Sept. 8th.
Southpaw “Mago” has entertained fans with his raw power and his heavy hands, and the 15-0(15) slugger has also seen his fan base grow.
According to Arum, Pacquiao vs. Cotto II is likely to happen
By Vitali Shaposhnikov: With the available roster of opposition for Manny Pacquiao, picking a fight should not be too complicated as far as the fight itself goes, but of course there are always financial negotiates, which can stall or even prevent a good fight from coming together. It is safe to assume at this point in time, that Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao fight will not happen until sometime around summer of 2013, and even that is an optimistic hypothesis.
Vic Darchinyan v Luis Orlando Del Valle: Potential Fight of The Year Candidate?
By Sevak Sarkisian: Former undisputed flyweight and super flyweight world champion Vic Darchinyan is slated to face the young unbeaten super bantamweight prospect Luis Orlando Del Valle on September 29th at the famous Foxwoods resort in Connecticut.
As most Boxing fans know, Darchinyan is a very affective heavy handed come forward type of fighter with an underrated skill set. Vic loves to apply a lot of pressure on all of his opponents and usually holds a size and strength advantage which he always makes great use of. However, it should be noted that since he made his move up to 118lbs from 115lbs his size and strength advantage hasn’t been as significant and it is clear that Vic has done his best work below 118lbs. The fight against Del Valle will be Vic’s first fight at 122lbs, which in my eyes serves as an advantage for Del Valle.
Proksa in over his head against Golovkin
By Marcus Richardson: EBU middleweight champion Grzegorz Proksa (28-1, 21 KO’s) is going to find out the hard way the difference between the world level and the European level next month against WBA World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (23-0, 20 KO’s) on September 1st at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Proksa, 27, has done well at the European level during his seven year pro career apart from the one blip on his resume when he was roughed up and beaten by Kerry Hope last March in a 12 round majority decision loss.
Proksa did a good job of avenging the loss to Hope by beating him last month in an 8th round TKO win. However, the fact that Proksa was defeated by a fighter in Hope’s class isn’t a good sign for Proksa now that he’s stepping up against a much better fighter in 30-year-old Golovkin next month. Proksa, 5’8″, really doesn’t have the size to be competing against a powerful middleweight like Golovkin. He’s more of a junior middleweight that’s fighting at middleweight.
Is Deontay Wilder taking unfair criticism because he’s beating his opponents too easy?
By Michael Collins: It’s no secret that unbeaten heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder (24-0, 24 KO’s) has received a whole mess of criticism from boxing fans for the opposition he’s faced since turning pro in 2008 after having captured the bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics. However, much of the criticism that’s been heaved Wilder’s way has been more than a little unfair, because it appears that Wilder is being punished for beating guys too easily.