RT @TodoCorazon17: So this is a good thing bc Delvin got the decision & should have got the TKO. But what if Hernandez would have got the n… 9 hours ago
Did the never-ending P90X yoga session earlier. Feeling very relaxed #oooooooohm! 9 hours ago
David Haye has claimed that he’s signed a preliminary contract to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
Haye confirmed the news recently at fan meet and greet at his London gym. While no date has been finalized, Haye explained that he’s agreed to a rematch clause and expects the contest to be held in Germany.
Should the fight fall through, Haye will opt for retirement rather than consider fights against Tyson Fury and David Price.
Haye’s last bout was a fifth round TKO of Dereck Chisora in July. Vitali Klitschko’s last bout was a September fourth round TKO over Manuel Charr.
OAKLAND, CA — What had been billed as a “superfight” between two prime fighters quickly turned into a one-sided super performance for Andre Ward, who physically and mentally broke Chad Dawson over several knockdowns in route to a 10th round TKO stoppage.
From the outset, Ward’s upper body movement and counter-punch timing nullified Dawson’s offense. The southpaw challenger struggled to land his straight left hand and would only land 29 power shots over the course of the fight. By the third, Ward was regularly landing power jabs and right crosses while a surprisingly slower Dawson waited in vain to counter. A short straight left would floor Dawson at the end of the round.
The fourth would be even worse for Dawson; he was dropped in the opening moments by another left. This time, Ward succeeded in hurting Dawson with follow-up left hooks. The champion appeared close to a stoppage after landing an uppercut, but Dawson held him off with his own uppercut. Ward would stay with his left hook, which because of Dawson’s southpaw stance and leaning resulted in Ward’s money punch landing behind the ear.
Ward continued to get off first in the middle rounds while Dawson was reduced to single-digit connects on half-hearted punches from the outside. Inside was no better; Ward badly stunned Dawson in the eighth with several guard-splitting uppercuts. Straight rights hurt Dawson in the ninth and the end was near as Ward added in more left hooks to take another one-sided round.
It would be the cuffing left hook that destroyed Dawson’s equilibrium; the challenger legs badly wobbled and Ward pounced with flush power shots through the guard for a third knockdown. Dawson was not physically spent, but mentally wanted no more and informed referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight.
The win gives Ward his first knockout win since 2009 and keeps him undefeated. While not completely blaming the loss on having to drop seven pounds to make the 168 pound super-middleweight limit, Dawson acknowledged that his body did not adjust as well as he anticipated.
“I thought I felt good at 168 but I couldn’t get off,” admitted Dawson. “He was a lot stronger and faster than I thought he was.”
What was supposed to be a potential classic brawl turned out to be one of year’s biggest disappointments when Antonio DeMarco knocked out fellow puncher John Molina Jr. in less than one minute. Molina was caught cold by a straight left and DeMarco pounced with a series of power shots on his cornered opponent. Molina simply bent over and cowered in a corner, giving the referee little choice but to call off the bout.
Overseas in Moscow, Vitali Klitschko notched another easy defense with a fourth round cuts stoppage over Manuel Charr. Klitschko controlled every round behind his long jab and patented overhand right. Charr suffered his first knockdown in the second off a counter overhand right and was cut badly over his right eye in the fourth. Charr was incensed with the stoppage and attempted to goad Vitali to continue fighting after the final bell.
What a performance from Ward. Most people expected him to win, but not via the annihilation we saw last night. While I do think the weight made Dawson a little weaker, the only difference I see if the fight had taken place at 175 is that Dawson may have been sturdy enough to see the final bell. You can see how disheartened Dawson was as early as the fourth when Ward decked in the round’s opening 10 seconds. At that point, Bad Chad had mentally checked out.
So who beats Ward? Unless you have access to a DeLorean to bring back a prime Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones or possibly Joe Calzaghe, Ward will continue to have his way at super-middleweight.
If you would have told me that Ward-Dawson would turn out to be a more exciting fight that DeMarco-Molina, I would’ve scoffed. What a horrible conclusion. But don’t blame the ref; Molina’s turtle-shell capitulation gave the ref little choice but to call off the bout. You’ll notice that Molina didn’t offer much protest either.
I understand Charr being upset. He could have a gone another round or two, but that flowing cut ensured the writing was on the wall. Haye fans can take heart in the fact Vitali is looking much easier to hit with each passing fight.
Prediction: If Charr makes it to the fifth round, consider this a big moral victory. Vitali should have no problems whatsoever landing his long jabs and heavy straight right hands on Charr, who pretty much plods forward behind his guard without much head movement. Give him credit for talking himself into a payday, but we’re going to see a gross mismatch in class later today. Charr does have the ability to throw decent hooks when he gets inside, but he doesn’t have the footwork nor upper body movement to get in there on Vitali wthout taking massive shots. Charr was better served health-wise going after someone like Adamek. Klitschko TKO3
I might be in the minority, but my interest in the September 8 fight between Chad Dawson and Andre Ward has been growing. No, I don’t expect a Fight of Year candidate like Dawson predicted a few days ago. Hell, I don’t even expect a lot of sustained action for 12 rounds. But I envision a tecnhical match that’ll be entertaining to watch in spots simply from a strategic standpoint (and not the mention Ward’s hometown Oakland should provide some good energy). We’ll get to see if Dawson will finally get a mental handle on all his talents. With Ward, can he overcome an opponent with notable advantages in speed, length and power?
And it doesn’t hurt that the undercard DOES have a potential Fight of Year in Antonio DeMarco and John Molina Jr. Add a heavyweight title defense featuring Vitali Klitschko, and you have a good card to kick off a loaded September.
David Haye sat down with the BBC to reflect on his big win over Dereck Chisora and address rumors of a potential fight with WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. Although he is a still a relatively young 31, the Hayemaker made it clear a showdown with Vitali Klitschko is likely the only fight that would keep him from going into a second retirement.
As the referee’s hands waved to signal the end of Dereck Chisora’s tame effort against David Haye last Saturday, talk quickly turned to the renewed fortunes of a fighter who’s spent the last year being the butt of toe jokes and insulting nicknames (ie. “salesman”).
The Hayemaker not only outclassed Chisora, but he delivered the definitive KO that alluded rival Vitali Klitschko, who defeated Chisora by unanimous decision in a fight that saw Vitali at times clearly winded and bothered by Chisora’s pressure.
Team Klitschko is claiming they’re not worried about Haye, but I have a hard time seeing Vitali turning this one down. The older Klitschko brother is a proud man and I’m sure he’d rather end his career seeing a battered Haye at his feet than that of Manuel Carr, his next opponent. I’m sure he gained a measure of satisfaction seeing his brother defeat Haye last year, but a knockout or one-sided beating will be the only thing to effectively shut Haye up.
And let’s real; the payday would be enormous. The type of money that ensures it would likely be the last time we’d see Haye or Vitali in the ring.
Even with Vitali’s political aspirations (Kiev elections are scheduled for October), this fight will happen by mid 2013. Haye wins and he completely redeeems himself from his disappointing performance against Wladimir. Vitali wins and he closes his career with a solid opponent (Manuel Charr IS NOT that).
As to who will win, even at 40 years old with clear signs of fading, Vitali Klitschko is tough task for Haye. It’ll likely resemble the lumbering chess match that was Haye-Valuev.
Let’s hear it. Do you want to see Vitali Klitschko vs. David Haye? And if so, who takes it?
American heavyweight Seth Mitchell takes the next big step in his development when he faces Chazz Witherspoon this Saturday (April 28) on the undercard of Hopkins-Dawson II. With unified champion Wladimir Klitschko identifying him as a potential future opponent, the undefeated Mitchell now will have to endure more intense scrutiny of his performances as he’s mapped out a “four fight, one-year” plan to his first title shot. Is the former college linebacker ready to handle a wholly different type of championship sports pressure?
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Last time we talked was before the Timur Ibragimov fight. You didn’t want to give it away at the time, but you mentioned there was a flaw you wanted to work on. Care to now reveal what it was?
Mitchell: I had a tendency to drop my left hand when I threw my right hand. I corrected it but not as much as I would’ve liked. I’m still working on it – it’s like a bad habit but we’re working on it as we speak.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: What else were you able to take from that win?
Mitchell: Most people see me go forward in my bouts. But this fight I noticed he tried to use his experience and overwhelm me by using his jab and trying to find the right hand. So instead of me coming forward being the aggressor, I would take little steps back and to the side and let him be the aggressor. That’s how I countered off his jab and slipped inside with the left hook. That’s what stunned him and lead to the finish. At that point, it was forget being a boxer and let’s finish this.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: What does Chazz Witherspoon represent for you at this stage of your career? Do you feel “legit threat” or “exhibition fight” when you hear his name?
Mitchell: I see a guy that’s good at everything. He can fight on the inside a little bit, has a good jab and good movement. He’s fundamentally sound and brings his hands back. And he has a little bit of athleticism. He will fight too even though sometimes it’s to his detriment. He has the heart; every fight I’ve seen him in he comes to win. When he goes out, he goes out swinging.
I’m very excited and motivated about him. I’ve trained very hard and can’t wait until the 28th of April.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Being that you’ve now fought in your hometown on a national stage, do you think it’s better to nurture a hometown buzz ala Andre Ward or take the “road warrior” route?
Mitchell: I think you have to do it both ways. You don’t want to neglect the foundation that is your home base. Even as a champion you should come back and reward your fans. You might have a lot of fans that want to support you but may not have the money for the plane tickets for Cali and Vegas and the hotel rooms. So it’s always good to come back with a hot card and venue. Not necessarily every fight, but definitely regularly.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: The biggest heavyweight publicity recently was February’s brawl with David Haye and Dereck Chisora. Some fans enjoy spectacles like that. Did you view it as a detriment?
Mitchell: Some say any publicity is good publicity, so in that regard it did shine light on the heavyweight division. But the stuff that happened outside the ring was a bunch of craziness. It shouldn’t have happened, shouldn’t have took place as far as what Chisora did [slapping Vitali Klitschko]. I thought the champs handled themselves well. I don’t think I could’ve handled myself that way, so kudos to them.
You gotta stick to fighting inside the ring. It’s one thing to promote the fight and talk trash but sometimes people cross the line. It was definitely crossed that night.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: As you’re aware the Klitschkos are in dire need of new opponents and have had their eyes on you, particularly Wladimir. When you hear that from these veteran champs, has that made your team speed up your timeline for a title shot?
Mitchell: We’re sticking to my development. My team and Golden Boy feel in about four fights, a year’s time, we’ll be ready for that championship challenge. It feels good to hear him say that but at the same time everything is on me. If I don’t go out in the ring and produce, get better and win in these next fights, then all that talk is for nothing. In this sport a loss can really you set back. When you start to look ahead and forget about the task at hand, that’s when you can lose sight of the big goal and take a L. I hear it, but I realize I gotta do what I do and get that buzz going. Then that day will come.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Which brother impresses you more?
Mitchell: Both of them! They pose different things that you have to worry about. I believe the younger brother is more athletic. He uses his legs better and has more power. He throws his right hand with more velocity and he’s quicker. I think the older brother throws more punches and will bang with you a little more. You have to look for more variety with him. Vitali is just tougher. He throws a lot more punches. You rarely see Wladimir throw body shots. He preps you with the jab and drops you with the right hand. Vitali will throw an up-jab and different types of jabs.
Both of them are very good and use the tools and attributes God has given them as far as their height. It’s no question they’re a tough task for anyone. You have to be on your “A” game to get in the ring with them.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: How is the fan buzz for this Hopkins-Dawson II card compared to what it was on Khan-Peterson? Do you feel the same level of excitement?
Mitchell: Well from my fans, yes! From others, not as much. I mean people are excited, but to me it doesn’t seem like it was for the Khan-Peterson fight. But my fans will definitely be deep in Atlantic City.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Aside from the left hand dropping you mentioned earlier, what else is important that you refined forSaturday night?
Mitchell: This might be a cliché answer but I’m still learning a lot. I still want to work on my counter-punching. I watch my fights and I’m like “Man, if I would’ve slipped here, came back with my right hand…” I feel like I hit a learning curve just a few months ago. I want to get better at all the basics and just be a better fighter overall.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: As media we’re always criticizing the boxing industry about what it can do better. Let’s flip that. As a fighter what do you think we can do better, particularly regarding the heavyweight division?
Mitchell: Here’s my concern. Writers have to understand that even though boxing is entertainment, it’s also a business. There’s a lot of politics involved but they just trash the boxers so much because of who they’re fighting.
A fighter will get to the title and they’ll say “Ah man, he’s been rushed. He’s not ready.” But then again when a fighter takes his time to develop, then he’s being babied and can’t fight. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I think they should take a more comprehensive view of the situation instead of just criticizing.
I know I can fight so I’m not even worried about it when my time comes.
“Hopkins vs. Dawson: Once And For All,” a 12-round bout for Hopkins’ WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight world championships, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Caesars Atlantic City. Also featured will be a 12-round heavyweight battle between Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and “The Gentleman” Chazz Witherspoon for the vacant NABO heavyweight title. The event will take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com.
Former WBA heavyweight titlist David Haye believes Vitali Klitschko’s politiical career is holding up a potential showdown for Klitschko’s WBC championship.
Haye, who’s been inactive since losing a unanimous decision to Vitali’s younger brother Wladimir last July, believes Vitali’s public statements of wanting to fight him, but says the 40-year-old champion’s handlers would rather take safer fights.
“There is so much riding on his political career, he wants to fight guys like Dereck Chisora, who he can guarantee a victory over,” Haye told The Telegraph. ”Fighting me is not in his interests. The word in Ukraine is that his people cannot afford for him to lose against me, or not knock me out, as he has told the Ukrainian people he will do what his brother could not do and knock me out.
“We agreed to the terms in December. We agreed to the purse and the terms. We asked for the contract to come over to us, but it didn’t happen for whatever reason. Then the fight with Chisora was announced.”
Haye announced on his Twitter page last night that Vitali confirmed their fight personally and in a RTL interview, a claim that was later denied by Klitschko manager Bernd Boente.
Here’s some more comedy from last weekend’s David Haye-Dereck Chisora brawl. This footage picks up at the end right after Haye’s tripod throw. The Hayemaker takes a brief look back at the camera almost as if to confirm they got everything. Ever the self-promoter and businessman, Haye then gingerly leaves a screaming Chisora (“He glassed me!”) to walk over to Vitali Klitschko, who gives him a froppish clap and smile before they shake hands. Considering Vitali was the recipient of a Chisora slap just a day earlier, it’s no surprise he got a kick out of the brief Haye-Chisora dust-up.
MUNICH, GERMANY — Vitali Klitschko promised a knock out after being slapped at yesterday’s weigh-in. Instead, he had to settle for a competitive decision victory in what was his toughest title defense.
Klitschko swept the early rounds behind the accuracy of his right cross. Chisora had success in slipping Klitschko’s jab, but found his offense smothered with clinches on the inside. The second round was Vitali’s best sequence of sustained punching when he landed three clean right hands in the final 30 seconds. By the third and fourth, Chisora was missing badly with wild, desperation left hooks. He was more consistent with his pressure in the fifth, but still let Klitschko pile up points via a higher punch output.
Chisora made his biggest impact in the sixth. The British challenger worked right hooks to the body and his left started to finally connect. The blows, and Chisora’s steady pressure, had the champion uncomfortable and clinching. Chisora started the seventh with a full minute of sustained punching that had Klitschko again holding. He slowed down over the round’s second half, allowing Klitschko to regain his wind and finish the stanza with several hard rights.
Chisora’s left hook was the dominant punch of the eighth and had Klitschko off-balance. But the Ukranian responded well in the ninth with several right crosses as Chisora’s pressure slowed.
The championship rounds were competitive, but it would be Klitschko landing the cleaner blows. Chisora’s earlier pressure was absent, allowing Vitali to land right hands and take breathers in clinches. Chisora failed to land any significant punches to turn the tide.
Althought Klitschko would win by wide scores of 118-110 twice and 119-111, he expressed disappointment with not getting a knock out after the slapping incident yesterday.
“I respect Dereck Chisora as a fighter but not as a human” said Vitali. “He was very motivated. I saw every punch; he was slow. I’m upset because I wanted a knockout.”
Minutes before the bout, Chisora had a confrontation with Wladimir Klitschko which resulted in Chisora spitting water in his face. After the fight, Chisora briefly embraced Vitali and then promptly began taunting him, causing trainers and promoter Frank Warren to intervene.
“The only thing that beat me today was experience,” said Chisora in his post-fight interview. “Did he hurt me? No… I’m disappointed in myself. I didn’t work my jab… I didn’t come here to get paid. I came to win.”
The win is Vitali Klitschko’s ninth successful WBC title defense and raises his record to 44-2 (40 KOs). Dereck Chisora falls to 15-3 (9 KOs).
Note: Observing the fight ringside was former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, who is currently trying to negotiate a title match against Vitali. He claimed that performance was proof Vitali had slipped and was ripe for the taking.
“He won’t see the final bell,” Haye boasted. “I know exactly what to do… Vitali himself said he’d be in trouble if Chisora was faster. Well guess what, I am!”
Considering I predicted Vitali to score a late TKO, I was pleasantly surprised by Chisora’s effort. In the middle rounds he applied good pressure and Klitschko could be seen clearly laboring . If Chisora’s talent level and stamina were a little better, Vitali might have been in serious trouble.
The outside antics didn’t bother me as much as some people. If Chisora wants to become the “Ricardo Mayorga of the heavyweights,” I say let him go for it. God knows that division needs as many interesting personalities as it can muster. And that water spitting incident probably earned Chisora a shot at Wladimir.
Regarding Haye’s statements, there is some merit there. Vitali Klitschko is 40 years old. Father Time has had its most noticeable handprints on Vitali’s lower stamina. The clinching is nothing new, but those few rounds of pressure that Chisora put together had Vitali gassing. I can see why Haye was so excited about this matchup. At the same time, he needs to also realize styles play a big part. Haye is a counter-puncher and I doubt he’d all of a sudden be able to walk down Vitali as Chisora attempted.
So let’s hear it. Do you think Haye have a legit shot to accomplish what he couldn’t against Wladimir?
