Longtime readers will recall welterweight Holly Lawson as one of the few female boxers that have been featured on this site. After scoring a split decision win over Sarah Kuhn in September, Holly has been waiting patiently to secure her first fight of 2013. In the meantime, those unfamiliar with her background can catch up via this appropriately titled video short. Holly’s a riot on Twitter, so be sure to check her out there and on Instagram @lilbearlawson.
What fans witnessed last night was not just an exciting Timothy Bradley fight (!), but unquestionably what will go down as one of the most dramatic and brutal contests of 2013. Those familiar with Ruslan Provodnikov knew this was a good fight on paper, but no one predicted Bradley would come out and seek to brawl with this power-punching Russian (God bless him for it). The boxing world is still buzzing, and unfortunately for Tim, this bout also had a scoring controversy that put some damper on this thrilling battle.
WHAT GOT INTO BRADLEY?!: In the leadup to this fight, Bradley claimed that his technique had massively improved and we’d see a marked improvement in punching power. That, coupled with his other promise to not go 12 rounds with Provonikov, caused him to come out guns blazing with quick combinations inside and repeated jabs to the head and body. Provodnikov walked through them, and Bradley obliged him with more punishment inside with hooks to the body.
Bradley’s issue was lingering too long inside, and Provodnikov hurt him badly with a wild right hand. Bradley was on queer street immediately and soon hit the canvas. It was ruled a slip, but that didn’t stop Bradley from doing an impressive Trevor Berbick impersonation and falling back over. To his credit, Bradley showed a huge heart in staying uprght and exchanging as Provodnikov unleashed a frightening array of power shots with Bradey trapped on the ropes. The exact same sequence repeated again in the second round (minus the missed knockdown), with Bradley boxing well until being caught by another big Provodnikov hook.
Bradley barely made it out of this one, and survived on nothing but heart and instincts as this one was just a solid punch or two from being over.
CRUCIAL SCORING MISTAKES: Unfortunately for Provodnikov, the scoring of the aforementioned two rounds factored heavily into his narrow defeat on the scorecards (113-114 twice and 112-115). If referee Pat Russell had correctly ruled the knockdown in the first round, Provodnikov would have at least earned a draw. Or even better, if the judges had given him credit for a 10-8 second round (which there’s a strong case he deserved even without the knockdown as badly as he had Bradley hurt), he’d have received a narrow win when you add in his dramatic work on Bradley to secure the knockdown in the 12th.
PROVODNIKOV’S STAMINA BETRAYS HIM: What hurt Provodnikov’s case was that there were at least four rounds where he did absolutely nothing. After throwing so much in the two opening rounds, he literally had nothing left in the third and simply let Bradley tee off with combinations while he recovered. Bradley would take rounds 3-5 like this before Provodnikov would catch and him hurt again in the sixth.
When Bradley used to footwork to move and fight on the inside, Provodnikov could do nothing with him. The powerful Russian’s face was being rearranged with the constant barrage of shots, but he flashed a ghoulish smile at Bradley and kept coming. Bradley’s massively outworked and outlanded Provodnikov with clean shots in rounds 7-10, but I thought Provodnikov delivered significant damage in the 11th (courtesy of that big right hand). The thudding left and right hooks that forced Bradley to take a knee in the waning moments of the 12th, had Provodnikov finishing the fight strongly.
THE WRONG STRATEGY, BUT THE SAME BRADLEY: Boxing is all about adjustments, and after those hellacious opening rounds Bradley found a winning strategy by moving and boxing Provodnikov at a distance. However, that’s not Tim’s style — he loves to mix it up inside and break guys down with his workrate. That’s what enabled Kendall Holt to drop him twice with big counters in their fight, and why Provodnikov had him out on his feet on no less than 4 separate occasions.
We should also keep in mind that Bradley was coming off a nine month layoff in part due to feet injuries. Bradley is always ripped, but also he looked softer in the middle than previous fights. Add all that together, and that’s likely why he couldn’t keep up the constant movement.
REMATCH?: Well, Ruslan Provodnikov has certainly earned one. He was very bitter at the decision, saying Bradley never hurt him. That’s not completely true, as a few body shots stopped him dead in his tracks. But Provodnikov was never out on his feet or on the verge of a stoppage loss. My gut tells me the rematch would be nowhere near as good as the first with Bradley making sure he spends the majority of the fight on the move and clinching when Provodnikov traps him. Nonetheless, this performance ensures he’ll be back one way or another. Can you imagine Provodnikov and Brandon Rios going at it?
BRADLEY STILL GETS NO RESPECT: With an obvious concussion after the fight, Bradley still had the misfortune of being booed afterward and in front of his hometown fans no less (the same ones that delivered a few “Bradley!” chants during the fight). People there were not happy with the decision. My colleague Jeandra LeBeauf of Bad Culture was there ringside and vehemently disagreed with the decision. I have to admit, I was yelling at my TV and wanted a Provodnikov KO bad in that 12th round.
Let us remember though that it takes two great performances to create an awesome fight, and the last thing people should have been doing is booing Bradley.
VARGAS OUTSMARTS OMOTOSO: The undercard featured a solid fight with Jessie Vargas keeping his undefeated record via a unanimous decision win over Wale Omotoso. Vargas appeared to be in big trouble through the first three rounds — Omotoso had dropped him on a body shot and couldn’t miss with counter right hands. But Vargas adjusted by working stiff jabs and 1-2s that keep Omotoso on the outside. The fight slowed down and Omotos got buzzed bad and nearly stopped off a right hand counter. In addition, Omotoso’s own right was now falling short. He wasn’t happy with the decision, but he never adjusted to Vargas’s changes. He had only himself to blame.
So what’s your take? Did Bradley redeem himself or get another undeserved decision? Watch the full fight HERE if you missed it.
A bicep injury to Devon Alexander has forced the second postponement of his February 23 IBF welterweight title defense against Kell Brook.
According to RING Magazine, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer confirmed the injury and is currently in talks with Showtime to secure an alternate date.
The February 23 card will still air live from Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theater with IBF junior middleweight titlist Cornelius “K’9″ Bundrage defending his title against Ishe Smith. In addition, prospect J’Leon Love will face Bronco McKart.
Originally scheduled for January 19, this is the second postponement of Alexander-Brook. In December, Brook postponed the bout after suffering an ankle injury.
At press time, Devon Alexander’s camp has not disclosed which bicep nor the extent of the injury.
**********************************************
Not that I’m a superstitious person, but it’s funny to get this news this morning as last night I had a dream Brook walked down and knocked out Alexander.
We don’t know the extent of the injury, but it must be significant to postpone the fight. If it’s a tear, we probably won’t see these two in the ring until the summer at the earliest. Under that scenario, I’d like to see Brook get a decent fight here in the States in the meantime to keep his name afloat.
Anyone still doubting if Robert Guerrero is a legit welterweight is eating crow today following the bruising beating he took and delivered last night to Andre Berto. Guerrero won wide on the scorecards (116-110 on all three and two early knockdowns), but had to work very hard every round against a Berto who refused to capitulate despite both his eyes being grotesquely swollen shut.
Berto’s Head-Scratching Strategy: Who told Berto it was a great idea to debut the shoulder roll against a tall southpaw of all fighters? Even Floyd Mayweather and Adrien Broner, the premier users of the style in today’s game, adjust to a high guard when facing southpaws. Berto did no such thing and got hurt badly by a straight left then got clubbed to the canvas by Guerrero holding and hitting in the first. Berto was in bad shape after the round and in the second another hard left caused the swelling to start on his right eye and resulted in a second knockdown. Although Berto battled back as best he could, this early deficit and damage effectively sealed his fate.
Guerrero Executed a Better, Dirtier Version of the Ortiz Game Plan: If you didn’t see the fight live, just imagine what Ortiz did, but add much more mauling, body punching and much less opportunities for Berto to punch back at mid-range. Referee Lou Moret let a lot of rough play go and that was to the detriment of Berto, who was complaining and just wasn’t strong enough to get Guerrero off him. Berto started landed some very hard, snapping uppercuts inside but Guerrero was just overwhelming him with volume in most of the rounds. Berto’s rally in the middle rounds was stifled by some sharp left hands from Guerrero in the championship rounds to close very strong.
I told Andre I was gonna beat him down so I had to be a man of my word.
Heart for Days: Berto has been in wars before with Ortiz and Collazo, so his heart was never in question. Guerrero showed a lot in his last win over Selchuk Aydin, but last night he fought through his highest level of adversity yet in dealing with his own badly swollen right eye and the huge uppercuts Berto was landing inside. It was the heart that made this compelling as each refused to have their wills broken through the ugly fouls and mauling.
What’s Next for Both Guys: Berto was understandably sour about the outcome. He’s been out of the ring for over a year and thought he had a very winnable fight. Instead he was bullied and busted up by a guy who last year was a lightweight. Berto isn’t going to become a totally different fighter, but I think he could use some better coaching. He’s kind of in limbo at this point in that you want him to get him to get some confidence back before facing a name guy. But should Berto be ready to jump right back into the fire next year, bouts against guys like Marcos Maidana, the Victor Ortiz rematch or even Josesito Lopez should still be there for him.
On the other end, Robert Guerrero puts himself right in play to face the winner of Devon Alexander vs. Kell Brook. Fellow Golden Boy stable mate Paulie Malignaggi holds a strap so that can be a unification matchup, but I have a feeling Paulie wouldn’t be too keen (and rightly so) with that matchup. It’s too bad we have all the BS between Golden Boy and Top Rank because I’d love to see Guerrero and Timothy Bradley go at it. There was some talk about that when Bradley couldn’ t get the Pacquiao rematch, so hopefully they’ll both reconsider in the new year.
As far as a rematch between Guerrero and Berto, I don’t think it’s necessary. As Guerrero himself told me earlier this week, Berto “is who he is” and I don’t see him being able to do much different to nullify Guerrero’s mauling strategy.
POST FIGHT INTERVIEW
Keith Thurman KO4 Carlos Quintana: Keith Thurman had a nice showing last night with his knockout of Carlos Quintana. I didn’t think Quintana could take the power and that’s exactly what happened. A left hook body shot dropped Quintana in the first and he barely beat the count. Thurman kept up the pressure and had Quintana out on his feet with a left hook in the fourth and quickly finished matters with a few more left hands. Thurman sports a glossy record of 19-0, with 18 KOs and claims he’s ready to step up. It’s too bad James Kirkland’s career is currently in contract turmoil, because I’d love to see him and Thurman go at it. But Thurman taking on Alfredo Angulo would be an even better alternative. Let’s hope that goes down sometime in 2013.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Standing before his hometown fans, a teary-eyed Ricky Hatton could not utter the word “retirement.” He could only apologize for a back and forth battle in which he came up short, leading on all cards but suffering a debilitating body shot KO in the ninth to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Hatton’s first comeback fight since May 2009.
The sold-out crowd gave Hatton a huge ovation during his ring walk and the lyrics to his “Blue Moon” rendition reverberated throughout the arena. The opening round was marked by Senchenko landing the cleaner shots, particularly jabs and overhand rights. Hatton weathered these shots and got inside with short hooks to the body and left hooks to the head that kept Senchenko backpedaling.
Senchenko stayed competitive but struggled to meet the pace until the sixth, when Hatton’s pressure slowed just a step allowing Senchenko to re-establish his jab and right cross. Senchenko’s right hands couldn’t miss and the accuracy made Hatton become wilder with his own power shot attempts. In addition, Senchenko’s began timing Hatton’s rushes with right hands and the check left hook, the latter which Floyd Mayweather used to dispose of Hatton back in 2007.
With the momentum clearly with Senchenko, Hatton pressed harder in the ninth and had a decent round before catching a thudding left hook to the body. The punch brought Hatton to his knees, prompting the crowd to increase their cheers in hopes to will their fighter to the finish. But the punch was too devestating, leaving Hatton in a fetal position on his side well after the 10 count.
Hatton, who was leading on all scorecards (78-74 and 77-76 twice), was near tears in his post-fight interview and attributed the loss to recklessness and the three-plus year layoff.
“My shots were miles away. I expected that after 3 1/2 years away,” admitted Hatton. “I was winning. I’m absolutely heartbroken… It was a good shot to be honest; he nailed me with a few. I should have been looking for that… I’m just gutted. I wanted to fight for world titles… I have a lot to think about. I can’t keep picking me ass up off the floor. I’m not a failure.”
The loss drops Ricky Hatton’s record to 45-3, with 32 KOs. Senchenko improves to 33-1 with 22 KOs.
******************************************************************
It was really tough seeing Hatton, bruised up and near tears, apologizing to his fans for not being able to get the win. Hatton’s pressure style is not conducive to a long career so it’s an amazing feat in itself that he was able to deliver such a competitive fight in his first bout after years battling drug addiction and depression. But the ring reveals the cold truth, and tonight it delivered a cruel, ironic twist to see Hatton destroyed with a left hook to the body, a signature punch of his that gave him a career-highlight knockout win over Jose Luis Castillo.
Hatton doesn’t want to retire on a loss, let alone back to back KO defeats. No fighter wants to go out like that. But tonight he gave it his all and deep down knows there’s nothing left. It’s up to his team to make sure he doesn’t forget that in the coming months if he tries to delude himself into another comeback. You’ve had a fine career, Hitman. Hold your head high and without shame.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Andre Berto and Robert Guerrero have officially announced their November 24, interim WBC welterweight title match that will take place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.
Both claimed to be very “hungry” for this bout. For Berto, he needs a big statement to redeem his name and momentum after missing out on a high-profile rematch with Victor Ortiz this summer over a positive steroid test. Guerrero is still trying to establish himself as a player in the welterweight division even after a competitive points victory over Selcuk Aydin in July. Below are quotes and photo highlights from yesterday’s press conference.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gene Blevins - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Andre Berto
I’ll use my speed, power and I’ll be smart against Guerrero. I’m already in shape and ready to work.
I’m hungry. Sometimes you have to go through tough times, sit back, appreciate what you have in life and move forward.
I went through a hell of a year for me. Now I’m back to the basics. This is what I needed.
I want to make statements with my fights, not take tune up fights. I know the level of fighter that I am and that’s what I expect from my opponents too.
Robert Guerrero
I believe I can knock him out. I want to send him home hurting and damaged.
They don’t give me the credit I deserve, so I just have to keep winning. I wanted to find one of the strongest guys out there that no one else wanted to fight to prove I’m the best.
I know Berto is coming to fight and he’s hungry, but so am I. I’m always hungry. I’m hungry all the time because I want to be the best in the world, not just a world champion. I don’t want to settle, I want to be the best.
I’m looking forward to taking care of business on November 24.
Richard Schaefer, CEO Golden Boy Promotions
Robert Guerrero is one of the most underrated champions in the world. I can’t understand why he’s not at the top of the pound for pound list.
We have Andre Berto vs. Robert Guerrero, Keith Thurman vs. Carlos Quintana and Richar Abril vs. Sharif Bogere. This is a huge event.
The fights on November 24 are ‘pick em’ bouts where either fighter can win.
“November 24 is a ‘thank you’ to fight fans on Thanksgiving weekend. Tickets are priced extremely low, starting at $25.00.
Tony Morgan, Berto’s Trainer
He can call himself whatever he wants (“The Ghost”), but at the end of the night, he’ll be calling himself a loser.
Guerrero is a great fighter, but he’s never been hit by someone as hard as Berto can hit in the 147 lb. division.
Ruben Guerrero Sr., Guerrero’s Father/Trainer
We’re going to have the advantages in all aspects against Berto.
Robert is hungry, like a lion. He’s going to swallow him up on November 24.
We’re going to be 100% ready for Berto and I promise it’s going to be a great fight.
Berto vs. Guerrero, a 12-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. Also featured will be a junior middleweight bout between rising star Keith Thurman and former World Champion Carlos Quintana and a 12-round battle between WBA Interim Lightweight World Champion Richar Abril and number 3 rated WBA lightweight contender Sharif Bogere for the WBA Lightweight World Championship. The event will take place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and are available for purchase by calling (888) 9AXS TIX (888-929-7849), at the Citizens Bank Arena box office or online at www.cbbankarena.com or www.axs.com.
In some ways, it’s hard to think of Paulie Malignaggi as a “veteran.” It seems like yesterday the brash Brooklynite was trash-talking Miguel Cotto and earning every fight fan’s respect with the brutal beating he endured, performing wild antics like wearing dreadlock extensions to the ring, and boldly calling out the corruption of the Texas Athletic Commission after a robbery “defeat” to Juan Diaz. But in reality, some of those signature moments from Malignaggi’s career came over six years ago. The Magic Man is now in his early 30s, a situation where every athlete, and especially boxers, realize time is not on their side. It’s fitting that at this last stage of his career, Malignaggi comes home to Brooklyn in the newly-opened Barclays Center to defend his WBA welterweight title against tough Mexican slugger Pablo Cesar Cano. No, this isn’t the same Malignaggi that emerged professionally from Brooklyn over a decade ago; the footspeed isn’t as quick, the hands not as fast. But in a game where the overwhelming importance is mental, Malignaggi explains why in 2012, he’s better than he’s ever been.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: It’s very noticeable that you’ve become less cocky and loud in recent years, signaling a newfound maturity and focus. Is there one particular moment you can pinpoint that brought about this transformation?
Malignaggi: When I lost to Amir Khan; it was a make or break point for me. I knew that if I’m going to continue with my boxing career I had to make certain changes and start approaching things differently. I looked around myself and changed the people and the surroundings. That’s exactly what I did and it’s made a change for the better.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: A few days ago on the conference call you mentioned that even though you’re not in your physical prime anymore, you consider yourself a much better fighter at this point. What differences have your noticed that make you believe that and also that you’ve passed your absolute prime?
Malignaggi: I don’t recover as fast from my workouts. I have had to know my body a lot better. I got away with a lot when I was younger just on physical talent, natural ability and just being young. My body could recover. At this age I can’t just do what I want because my body will let me know the next day. But you get smarter in that way. It would have been nice to have these mental notes when I was younger.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: A lot has been made of your recent stoppages, which have been rare throughout your career. Out of everything, from actual power to speed and technique, what do you believe is the biggest reason you’ve been able to get guys out of there?
Malignaggi: I think it’s the healthy hands, y’know? I’ve had four hand operations in my career. We’ve been blessed with healthy hands the last few years. For the most part I’ve battled hand injuries most of my boxing career. You’ll notice a big part of the stoppage in the last fight was a result of Senchenko’s eye being closed. It was not just my jab but being able to throw the right hand, a punch that I didn’t consistently have before because I was always breaking it.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: From the bloodbath he had with Erik Morales, we know that your opponent Pablo Cesar Cano is a tough fighter. What are you expecting out of him Saturday?
Malignaggi: I expect him to try and pressure me and be aggressive. That’s going to be easier said than done. I expect a guy who’s young and excited about the opportunity he’s got. I’ll have to work pretty hard in the early part of the fight but I’ll put him in his place as the fight goes on. Little by little I’ll have to break his will. He’ll have a lot of will, but little by little I’ll take it away.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: There’s been a lot of deserved praise for your commentating ability we’ve seen on Showtime, but you’ve also acted before. Will that be something you’ll continue to pursue in retirement?
Malignaggi: It’s cool; I don’t have an acting agent per say but I have fun doing it. It would be something cool to explore if those doors open. I’m not against any of it. I try to be an ambitious, driven and well-rounded person in my life.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Would I be wrong in saying you’ve never truly gotten over the loss to Ricky Hatton. Out of your losses, it seems that’s the one that you just have to avenge somehow.
Malignaggi: Yeah, that’s a fight I shouldn’t have lost. I don’t think Hatton won it; I lost it. It’s very clear if you look at any of my fights in 2008, it’s obvious the trainer I had (Buddy McGirt) wasn’t fitting the bill for me. It was a contrast of styles; the pieces weren’t fitting but he was still trying to make them fit anyway instead of adjusting to my strengths. In the end I paid the price with three terrible performances [that year] although I won two of them and lost the Hatton fight. I’m my own worst critic; all three were just brutal performances. None of them made me happy.
Even though I’ve took two losses since then, and one wasn’t really a loss in [Juan] Diaz because everyone knows I got robbed, I’ve only had one bad performance and that was to Amir Khan. The only thing that told me is that I had to leave 140 pounds. I believe I made my point and I’d like to make my point to Ricky Hatton, to show him the guy he fought wasn’t the guy the rest of the opponents in my career got to fight. I’d like to show him who Paulie Malignaggi really is. But, one thing at a time; Cano comes first and then we’ll see what happens. It’s definitely something I’m interested in.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: You mentioned the Amir Khan fight. You had some really entertaining trash talk before that fight and even went as far as printing up and selling “A Mere Con” t-shirts. That was really entertaining. Will we ever see things like that from you again?
Malignaggi: It’s all spontaneous; if I think of ideas I’ll do them. I’m definitely not against it. It’s entertaining and I give myself a laugh. If people get a kick out of it it’s cool too. But I never want to think of it too much because it’s spontaneous.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: One thing I’ve always had immense respect for concerning you is that essentially because of the power deficit, you have to fight the perfect fight every time out and not get too down on the cards. In the times you have been down big, you’ve never quit or looked discouraged. How do you mentally stay focused knowing the climb back is near impossible?
Malignaggi: You just try to take it second by second, minute by minute. You can’t look ahead too much. You realize a fight’s not going your way but if you start to look at the long haul [ahead], like “it’s going to be a long night,” mentally you’re going to fold and break. You try to look at it in the moment of where it’s at. Try to win every moment and the one afterward. If the knockout comes, you take it. If you think too deeply, you’ll break. Avoid that at all costs.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: You’ve admitted that you won’t be able to achieve all your career goals in the few years remaining in your career. What are the ones that you think you can still get done?
Malignaggi: I wanted to be world champion in three classes. Originally I turned pro at lightweight and told myself I’d be champion at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight. I couldn’t make lightweight [long enough] and had to move up to 140 pounds in a year of my pro debut. If the right opportunity came at junior middleweight I would try and shoot for a world title there. These are very tough goals I set for myself.
I wanted to be in the Hall of Fame but I’m not sure if I can achieve that anymore. There were some key losses so it’ll be interesting to see what I achieve from here on out. I try to approach every fight with that type of hunger and determination to leave my mark on the sport.
And obviously, to make as much money as I can in the sport. I figured being successful would always create revenue, so just maximizing these world title wins with as much income as I can.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Thanks for your time, Paulie. Welcome home and best of luck tonight.
Malignaggi: Thanks man, I appreciate it.
*********************************************************************
World championship boxing returns to Brooklyn with an inaugural night of fights at the new Barclays Center on October 20 headlined by Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia against future Hall of Famer Erik “El Terrible” Morales presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. In the co-featured attractions, Brooklyn’s own Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi puts his WBA Welterweight World Championship on the line against hard-hitting Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano, undefeated number one rated WBO middleweight contender Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin of Manhattan takes on unbeaten Hassan N’Dam for N’Dam’s WBO Middleweight World Championship and Devon Alexander “The Great” faces Randall Bailey for Bailey’s IBF Welterweight World Championship in a bout presented in association with DiBella Entertainment. The SHOWTIME® CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The undercard is loaded with many of New York’s top fighters, including Brooklyn’s hot middleweight prospect Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs, former World Champion Luis Collazo, the Bronx’s rising star Eddie Gomez, former world title contender Dmitriy Salita and Brooklyn prospect Boyd Melson.
Tickets pricedat $300, $200, $100 and $50 are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com,www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Last Saturday’s most dramatic boxing moment was unquestionably the 12th round between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but the “Fight of the Night” happened at MGM Grand courtesy of the brutal slugfest between Marcos Maidana and Jesus Soto Karass.
Maidana, who was considered dead in the water at welterweight after losing badly to Devon Alexander earlier this year, looked rejuvenated under new trainer Robert Garcia. Maidana sported an effective jab (!), a compact right hand (!!) and even slipped punches instead of relying on toe to toe exchanges (!!!).
Karass, who’s fought as high as junior middleweight, had the size and durability to withstand some vicious flush shots and stay in the bout. And make no mistake, Karass landed his own powerful blows downstairs that gave Maidana pause.
The fight quickly became a grudge match with hitting after the bell, trash talk and low blows. Maidana was docked two points and Soto Karass lost one as well. And even with that, the fight never been a clinchfest. Each man was in seek and destroy mode the entire contest.
Make sure you find time to watch this one in full.
SAN JOSE, CA — A Selcuk Aydin fist taunt resulted in a brief scuffle earlier today at the weigh-in for tomorrow night’s Showtime Championship Boxing main event. Aydin tapped his right first to Guerrero’s face, prompting him to give Aydin a hard shove. Further physicality was quickly broken up by both fighter’s entourages. The real fight begins tomorrow night at 10 p.m. ET.
SAN JOSE, CA — Robert Guerrero and Selcuk Aydin held their last public workouts yesterday before Saturday’s (July 28) clash at the HP Pavilion for the vacant WBC interim welterweight title. The skill level favors Guerrero, but it remains to be seen if The Ghost will carry any type of power up from lightweight. As you’ll see in the below photos, Aydin is a full-fledged welter and a strong one at that.
The bout airs live on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Guerrero vs. Aydin, a 12-round fight for the WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arena-Box Promotion and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with Shawn Porter facing Alfonso Gomez for the NABO Welterweight title in the co-featured fight and preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets priced at $252, $127, $62, and $26 are available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office.
