TUCSON, AZ — Undefeated prospect Diego De La Hoya (17-0) will headline his first ESPN card tomorrow night when he takes on Erik Ruiz (16-6-1) at the Casino Del Sol. De La Hoya weighed in at 122 pounds and Ruiz slightly higher at 122.4. The card includes the co main event of D’Mitrius Ballard (17-0, 167.4 lbs.) taking on Adrian Luna (18-4-1, 167.8 lbs.) in super middleweight action, and a TV swing bout Hector Tanajara Jr. (8-0, 130 lbs.) facing Daniel Bastien (4-4, 130 lbs.).
Two weeks out from his big showdown against Danny Jacobs, WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin appeared on ESPN’s First Take on rival Canelo Alvarez.
With Floyd Mayweather’s retirement, Canelo is now the sport’s biggest pay-per-view attraction. But while Golovkin concedes he would meet any Mayweather demand due to the latter’s Pound 4 Pound track record, he called Canelo “nothing” and a “selfish” fighter. The ill will stems from last year May when Canelo vacated the WBC middleweight over negotiating with Golovkin, who was the mandatory challenger and subsequently awarded the belt.
Golovkin also took a moment to address if he’d move to 168 or 175 to face Andre Ward. Do you agree with GGG’s comments?
Floyd Mayweather was in rare form during an appearance today on ESPN’s First Take. Mayweather addressed a myriad on topics on Conor McGregor, a Manny Pacquiao rematch and Gennady Golovkin.
On McGregor, Mayweather says he tried to make the fight but requires $100 million. As the A-side, he’s willing to give McGregor up to $15 million and negotiate a percentage on the pay-per-view numbers. The Pacquiao rematch and possibly facing Golovkin didn’t elicit much interest from Mayweather, who dismissed Pacquiao for having a boss and GGG for struggling with Kell Brook.
You may not like his demeanor, but not many lies were told. Mayweather is all about the business side of the sport and he’s mastered it better than any fighter in history. For that reason, he gets to call the shots in any potential matchup.
A Hip-Hop mystery has finally been solved. From the moment The Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous Life After Death hit stores in March 1997, fans have been vexed by the anonymous Knicks player that was robbed and cuckolded by his woman on the narrative classic “I Got a Story to Tell.” A few years back on ESPN’s Highly Questionable, former Knick John Starks confirmed the story was based in truth but declined to name the “victim.” Today, Fat Joe reveals the name as none other than Knicks enforcer Anthony Mason.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Mase, he was one of the toughest players in the 90s and built like a tank. For some, it’s hard to imagine him getting played like this, but someone having the drop of you with a gun is a great equalizer. Another thing to keep in mind, as Joe mentions, is rappers embellish everything to the extreme. What could have been Biggie running out the back door could easily morph into the more entertaining cheating turned stickup fiasco.
Whatever happened, credit to Biggie for displaying his greatness and turning it into a classic and at times humorous song (a basketball game getting rained out???). We’re left to imagine if Biggie would have kept Mase’s name a secret had he lived.
Photo Credits: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
HIALEAH, FL — WBA junior middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara and challenger Jan Zaveck were on target for yesterday’s weigh-in. Lara is coming off a wide unanimous decision victory over Delvin Rodriguez in June. Zaveck is one a three-fight win streak with his last victory coming over Sasha Yengoyan in April.
PREDICTION: Zaveck is probably one of the toughest and most durable guys at 154, as evidenced from his performances against Keith Thurman and Andre Berto. But he needs someone willing to go to war with him and that’s not Lara (unless you have the foot speed to force him). Lara will be too elusive and frustrate Zaveck the entire night with his accurate straight left. LARA WIDE UD.
Photo Credit: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
BROOKLYN — Last night, fans likely saw the last in-ring performance of Paulie Malignaggi. The cut up and bruised Brooklynite was able to complete eight rounds against Danny Garcia before referee Arthur Mercante Jr. halted the bout’s inevitable conclusion midway through the ninth.
The fight was supposed to function is a statement bout for Garcia’s long-awaited debut at welterweight. Instead, more questions remain about his potential in a weight class stacked with PBC talent.
WASHED VS. COMPLACENT: If there was a appropriate tagline for Garcia vs. Malignaggi, this was it. What was left of the old Malignaggi was effectively beat out of him by the Shawn Porter massacre last year. Garcia, for all his skill, has looked like a fighter unsure of himself and going through the motions since defeating Lucas Matthysse in late 2013.
Both guys did what we should have come to expect from them in recent fights. Garcia, while not spectacularly blowing away his faded foe, didn’t look bad either. He cut off the ring, brought measured pressure, worked the body, and rearranged Paulie’s face with consistent offense. Malignaggi leg’s were shot and outside of the second and third rounds, were he showed a decent amount of moment and defense, the former titlist could not break Garcia’s rhythm.
“I was trying to take a bit of his confidence. He was walking me down fairly well behind the jab,” Malignaggi admitted. “He cut me in the fourth and I think that upped his confidence. I never could get control of the pace though. In spots I felt I was giving up less ground and I had him missing. He got back on his groove though and he had a strong advantage.”
Having been cut eight times over the course of his 14-year career, Malignaggi’s skin couldn’t handle the constant shots. Deep redness was visible around the right eye after one round. Cuts opened above both eyes and another deep, skin-flapping wound under the right became an issue.
The eighth was particularly brutal as Malignaggi, movement labored, became a sitting duck for Garcia’s power shots. The punches downstairs had Malignaggi sporting a deep bruise on his left side. Garcia’s chopping rights continued the abuse upstairs.
The ending was more so a “dignity stoppage” than a “legit” one. Malignaggi had stumbled backwards after losing balance from a Garcia body shot. Garcia followed up with a glancing head shot while Malignaggi attempted to evade on the ropes. The referee jumped in to prevent more punishment and Malignaggi having to go out on his shield. Confirmation that the end was nigh came from Malignaggi himself.
“Little by little he broke me down, and I have no problem with the stoppage,” he said.
THE WELTERWEIGHT MEASURE: Garcia was noticeably bigger and stronger than Malignaggi, which comes as no surprise. The test for Garcia comes when he’s pitted against a natural 147-pounder. How will that left hook translate? How will he handle the power of bigger men?The two names mentioned on the boardcast were Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, both of which are very intriguing.
Thurman appears to have his eyes set on Amir Khan or Kell Brook, making a Porter fight more likely. I’d prefer that fight as well, since Garcia tends to look better against aggressive fighters. Another plus is Porter’s size and strength would ensure a great style contrast. Based on last night, I’d favor Porter by decision.
INJURY SPOILS JACOBS-MORA DRAMA: After both tasted the canvas within seconds of each other in round one, Jacbos vs. Mora was history by the second after Mora fractured his ankle on a canvas slip. Per the rules, the bout had to be ruled a TKO win for Jacobs as Mora couldn’t continue.
Jacobs had been a bit buzzed from the knockdown, but he was back to walking Mora down at forcing exchanges at the time of the injury.
“I wanted to stop him on my own,” said Jacobs. “I didn’t want him to quit on the stool but I know that he knew it was going to end in a couple of rounds anyway.
I want Peter Quillin next. It’s a fight the fans deserve. Brooklyn always supports both of us and it would be a great way to close out the year.”
Neither guy has any credible opponents left so why not? Jacobs is the better boxer from a technical standpoint. However, his chin is weaker and Quillin is the more explosive and powerful puncher. My early pick is Quillin by a mid-round KO while being behind on the cards.
BROOKLYN — Yesterday’s weigh-in for Premier Boxing Champions’ latest ESPN card finished with no issues as the televised fighters all made weight. The narrative for this one can be viewed as “complacent young titlists vs. washed vets,” so let me ensure you don’t watch tonight’s card expecting any upsets.
GARCIA: 146.6
MALIGNAGGI: 146.8
PREDICTION: Danny Garcia’S career post-Matthysse has been one long PR disaster filled with questionable wins (Peterson, Herrera) and shameful competition (Salka). Now done with light welterweight, he’s proclaimed to everyone that Saturday night we’ll see a stronger, sharper Garcia who won’t be drained from weight issues. He couldn’t ask for better opponent in Malignaggi, who was last seen in the ring getting bludgeoned by Shawn Porter.
Malignaggi has maintained that he’s been in camps constantly so there won’t be any ring rust despite a year-plus layoff. That won’t matter because Paulie’s best defense, his legs, has left him. It allowed Porter to run through him with impunity, Broner to walk him down over the second half of their fight, and Cano to drop him. Paul’s best win in the last 3 years is a unanimous decision over an equally faded fighter in Zab Judah.
It will take some rounds for the plodding Garcia to get Malignaggi cornered, but when he does the results won’t be pretty. GARCIA TKO5
JACOBS 159.8
MORA: 159.2
PREDICTION: Jacobs is the natural middleweight; younger, faster and the bigger puncher. This comes down to how hungry Jacobs is. If he goes after Mora, I can see him being the first man to stop him with the ref intervening late. If he’s content to go rounds like he was against Caleb Truax before the last round KO, then we’re in for a long and painful viewing experience. Knowing our luck, it’s probably the latter. JACOBS WIDE UD WITH A KNOCKDOWN OR TWO
