Froch pretty much said the Ward rematch has to take place in UK or no fight. #boxing7 hours ago
Carl Froch on Ward: "He's not an entertaining fighter... He doesn't get the TV public excited. But it's a fight I can win if I get right." 7 hours ago
RT @Pacman453323: Lampley is an idiot. Ward beat him so it makes no sense to fight in uk? Kessler beat froch, but he fought him a 2nd time … 7 hours ago
lol Ok, Andre Ward. Play hardball and stay in Oakland rather than fighting Froch in the UK -_- #boxing7 hours ago
Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward was laid to rest yesterday in Detroit. The three-hour plus memorial featured an assortment of tribute speeches from fighters Steward either trained or had an immense influence on. Courtesy of Detroit new station WXYZ-TV is the collection of fighter speeches from Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Wladimir Klitschko, Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis. Also below is Aretha Franklin’s singing tribute. RIP, Emanuel.
HAMBURG, GERMANY –Wladimir Klitschko dedicated tonight’s fight to fallen trainer Emanuel Steward and delivered a performance that would have made him proud, showing a mix of power, elusiveness and technique in dominating Mariusz Wach over 12 rounds to retain the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
Wladimir measured his jab and was landing flush right crosses right out the gate. The shots knocked the towering, 6’7 Wach backwards every time. When he attempted to get inside, Klitschko countered with left hooks to maintain distance. Wladimir kept Wach guessing by also delivering this hard shots on his toes. By the end of the third, Wach’s corner was imploring him to make it a rough, inside fight.
Easier said than done.
Klitschko did a significant amount of clinching in the fourth (the most of the fight), but still landed his share of jabs and right hands. Wach’s only shining moment came in the fifth when Wladimir went to the ropes and was stunned by a haymaker right. Wladimir remained composed and clinched for the remaining seconds to close out a round he still won on two cards.
Wach would get no momentum in the next round as Wladimir went back to working the jab in the sixth. This time, the champion was more flat-footed and stayed in the pocket, getting off first and scoring with right hands. Wach’s lack of head movement did him no favors; Klitschko unleashed a 5-6 combo of power shots in the seventh and finished that stanza with two jarring overhand rights.
Wladimir Klitschko’s strongest effort to finish off Wach came in the eighth. The champion kept a sustained attack for the entire round, knocking Wach from pillar to post with an assortment of right hands: hooks, uppercuts and overhand shots. Not only was the pasting enough for a 10-8 round on two cards, it was bad enough that Wach’s team would have received no criticism for pulling their fighter.
Klitschko would dominate the remaining rounds but never attacked with the vigor of the eighth. Wach would never stop trying but could not come close to landing a solid punch. The scorecards revealed the expected dominance for Klitschko: 120-107 twice and 119-109.
The win is Wladimir Klitschko’s 13 and his first fight without Emanuel Steward in his corner since 2003.
This was the best Wladimir Klitschko fight I’ve seen in years. He did everything you could want except getting the knockout. The robotic Klitschko we’ve all criticized at some point was not in the ring tonight. Wladimir fought off the backfoot, on his toes turning Wach and even at times inside. And he still kept that crushing power. If Wladimir fought like this regularly, no one would call him boring.
As for Wach, that man’s chin must be made out of adamantium. Wladimir was landing bombs from the first round and this man made it to the final bell. Personally, if I was his corner I’m probably pulling him after that whitewash eighth round.
As I said before, Wach was no world-beater but an impressive victory, as this was, is a good look for Wladimir’s legacy. This was the first time he’s fought a bigger guy and he shined with flying colors.
Prediction: Wach is by no means an all-time great or even a very proven fighter, but this fight can do a lot for Wladimir’s legacy. This is the first time he’ll be fighting a guy with physical advantages over him in height, reach and possibly physical strength (Wach stands 6’7 1/2 with an 82 inch reach compared to Klitschko’s 6’6, 81 inch frame). Nonetheless, the skill level is very much in Wladimir’s favor, and I believe he’ll be able to outbox Wach with his excellent jab and that sledgehammer right hand. Wach will give Wladimir a few perilous moments when he backs him up, but Wladimir is a master clincher and will hold at any sign of danger. I see Klitschko slowly breaking down his larger foe and scoring a stoppage by the eighth round.
Challenger Mariusz Wach also got in some mitt work for the media as did Wladimir Klitschko yesterday for this weekend’s big heavyweight bout for Wladimir’s WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Wach is moving pretty good and his hand speed is better than I expected. How that translates on fight night is another thing, but both fighters appear to be in great shape heading into Saturday, something that hasn’t always been the case with Klitschko opponents. And putting Wladimir’s face on the mitts was a nice comedic touch.
HAMBURG, GERMANY — Wladimir Klitschko and new head trainer Jonathon Banks did some mitt work yesterday as part of their final media workout before Saturday’s title defense as Mariusz Wach. Wladimir looks very good — the champ has nice speed and snap on his punches that will prove invaluable against the massive but lumbering and slow Wach. Wladimir’s footwork is also looking sharp.
Berne, Switzerland — The passage of four years wasn’t enough to reverse Tony Thompson’s fortunes as Wladimir Klitschko improved on his 2008 11th round TKO win with a sixth round stoppage earlier today at the Stade de Suisse stadium.
Much like their first encounter, the champion struggled to find a consistent offense against Thompson’s tall southpaw stance. Klitschko altered his normally powerful jab to a pawing range-finder and landed sporadic hard right hands in the first and second rounds. Thompson offense was even worse; the American challenger couldn’t counter the longer Klitschko and found himself back-pedaling, holding and falling short with most of his punches in the early rounds.
Thompson’s would have fleeting success in the third when he caught Klitschko with a counter right hook. The punch briefly made the champion hesitant with implementing trainer Emanuel Steward’s instructions to step inside with his punches.
Following an ugly, clinch-filled fourth round, Klitschko broke open the bout in the closing minute of the fifth with an accurate left jab-right cross that floored Thompson in a corner. The challenger barely beat the count and held to make the bell.
Klitschko remained patient in the sixth but never stopped pressing the action. He caught Thompson with a driving right cross against the ropes followed by clubbing hooks inside for another corner knockdown.
Thompson rose on shaky legs and held onto the ropes for balance, prompting the referee to call off the bout.
The win is Klitschko’s 12th consecutive title defense going back to 2006.
Another heavyweight fight, another dominant victory for one of the Klitschkos. Aside from a small story about Wladimir coming in at a career-high weight and Thompson at a career low, there was never much doubt about this one. It wasn’t pretty, but Wladimir fought exactly how he should have against a tall southpaw. Seth Mitchell is still at least a year away from facing Wladimir, and Tyson Fury’s team made it clear today their man won’t be getting in there with either brother any time soon. So what that likely leaves is Chris Arrerola for either late this year or early next. Wladimir is the favorite should that happen, but that one has the chance to be the most exciting fight the champion has had in years.
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.
DUESSELDORF, GERMANY — Wladimir Klitschko (57-3, 50 KOs) easily achieved his 50th knockout today with a four round demolition of Jean Marc Mormeck (36-5, 22 KOs).
Mormeck, who Klitschko trainer Emanuel Steward compared to former champion Mike Tyson, never troubled Klitschko with his bob and weave strategy. The champion quickly tied Mormeck up in-close in addition to leaning his 240 plus pound frame on the challenger. Klitshcko landed several cuffing left hooks on Mormeck’s guard and a glancing right to close out the opening stanza.
Steward told his fighter before the second that Mormeck was “already tired” and his balance would soon “be all over the place.” Mormeck’s pressure slowed, allowing Klitschko to score his first knockdown off a straight right. The challenger was conscious and took the knee to recover. Klitschko finished the round by driving Mormeck into a corner behind a mixed combination of left hooks and rights crosses.
The beating continued in the third with Klitschko’s jab being the primary weapon snapping back Mormeck’s head. By the start of the fourth, Mormeck had only landed three punches out of a total 15 attempted in the fight. The champion ended matters with a powerful jab-right cross-left hook combination that devastated Mormeck and placed him flat on his back. Mormeck rolled on his side and got upright just as the referee’s count reached ten.
The win is Wladimir Klitscko’s 11th title defense since 2006. His next proposed bout is a mandatory defense against Tony Thompson, who Klitschko scored an 11th round knockout over in 2008.
Prediction: Here we have a near 30 pound weight difference, a seven-inch height and reach advantage, and a huge disparity in skill level all in favor of the champion Wladimir Klitschko. This fight will be a blowout and is the perfect opportunity for Wladimir to break from his overly cautious approach and show some of the “seek and destroy” mentality from his pre-Emanuel Steward days. Mormeck is well past his expiration date and it’s further compounded by the fact his best days were at cruiserweight, which ended when David Haye KO’d him in 2007. This will resemble a cat playing with a mouse until the ending bite, or in this case likely a Klitschko right hand, comes within the first half of the bout. Wladimir Klitschko by 5th round KO.
FRANKFURT, GERMANY — Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has been forced to cancel his December 10 title defense against Jean Marc Mormeck after two surgeries to remove kidney stones.
Klitschko, who holds the WBO, WBA and IBF titles, started to experience stomach pains last Friday (December 2). He was transferred to Duesseldorf University Hospital and had the stones removed with two surgeries on Saturday and Sunday.
The surgery was a success but did not leave enough time for Klitschko to recover in time for this Saturday.
“He is very weak after two surgeries and it makes sense to have a fight right now,” said Dr. Peter Albers, Duesseldorf University’s chief urologist.
At press time, the target date to reschedule the title match is on March 3.
