Boxing archive

As great as pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. is inside the ring -- and he is one of the greatest to ever lace up the gloves -- he hasn't made many appearances there in recent years before fighting twice in 2013.

In fact, Mayweather had not fought as many as two times in one year since 2007, when he outpointed Oscar De La Hoya in a fight that set numerous financial records, and then drilled Ricky Hatton. That was a huge year for Mayweather as he beat two quality opponents, made gargantuan sums of money and won fighter of the year honors for his excellent performances. It's hard to win fighter of the year when you only fight once a year, however, which is what Mayweather did from 2009 to 2012 (and he didn't fight at all in 2008).

But in 2013, Mayweather signed a 30-month deal with Showtime/CBS for up to six fights. The deal set the industry on its head and is estimated to be worth up to $200 million. It was also a sign that Mayweather had recommitted to boxing more regularly and the result was two fights, two big events, two lopsided decision victories, more riches, more pay-per-view records and the 2013 ESPN-com fighter of the year award.

Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) may be 36 and closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but he was still brilliant, as always, in both victories. In May, Mayweather took on Robert Guerrero, who had campaigned for the shot at Mayweather for more than a year and did something many fighters aren't interested in doing -- he earned it by moving up two weight classes, from lightweight to welterweight, and beating two legit contenders in Andre Berto and Selcuk Aydin. But Guerrero was no match for Mayweather, who barely broke a sweat outboxing him to win 117-111 on all three scorecards in a welterweight title defense.

And then, when some doubted Mayweather would take up the challenge, he returned to junior middleweight, where he also held a belt, and faced young, strong, undefeated Mexican star Canelo Alvarez in the biggest fight since, well, Mayweather-De La Hoya.

In a sublime performance, Mayweather toyed with Alvarez and won a majority decision, a result marred only by the absurd draw scorecard turned in by judge C.J. Ross (who later quit judging because of the intense backlash).

Besides unifying 154-pound titles, Mayweather's win over Alvarez generated $150 million in pay-per-view revenue to break the Mayweather-De La Hoya record ($136 million). It also sold 2.2 million subscriptions, second all-time to Mayweather-De La Hoya (close to 2.5 million) and broke virtually every other revenue record in boxing history.

When Mayweather fights, they are the biggest events in boxing and, thanks to his activity level in 2013, and the ease with which he beat two top opponents, he showed he is still the face of boxing.

"2013 has been a big year for 'The Money Team,'" Mayweather said. "It feels good to be where I currently am in my career. I am looking forward to 2014 being another exciting year for me. I appreciate the recognition and all of the support my fans shown me over the years."



2013 ESPN boxer of the year: Floyd Mayweather Jr. - ESPN

The New Year offers hopes to fighters eager to make another vital step toward titles and stardom.

Although not immediately ready for the pay-per-view blockbusters or seven-figure purses, several hopefuls emerged last year and could make noticeable impacts in 2014:

• Bermaine Stiverne, heavyweight: Stiverne wants to become the first Haiti native to win a heavyweight title, and he helped his chances with a convincing decision victory over contender Chris Arreola in 2013. At age 36, Stiverne would hardly fit the “hopeful” tag, especially after a knockout loss two years into his career. But the division now has an opening for a new champion when belt holder Vitali Klitschko recently vacated his World Boxing Council title.

• Mike Perez, heavyweight: Instead of relocating in South Florida, Cuba-born Perez opted for fight fortunes in Europe. Perez, who lives in Ireland, made his U.S. TV debut with a hard-fought decision win against Magomed Abdusalamov two months ago.

• Omar Figueroa, lightweight: A first-round knockout win over Abner Cotto in April was the precursor to Figueroa’s successful year. In July, Figueroa passed his first 12-round test with a decision against Nihito Arakawa.

• Billy Joe Saunders, middleweight: Following the trail of Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Carl Froch, Saunders could become the next British fighter who has transitioned into the U.S. fight market during the past 10 years.

• Terrence Crawford, lightweight: Crawford made his TV breakthrough with a lopsided decision against dangerous veteran Breidis Prescott in March. Victories over Alejandro Sanabria and previously unbeaten Andrey Klimov later in the year helped land Crawford his first title fight against Ricky Burns on March 1.

• Jermell and Jermall Charlo, junior-middleweights: The Charlo twins could replace Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko as brothers who share world titles. Local fight fans were introduced to the unbeaten brothers in separate cards at BB&T Center last year.

• Randy Caballero, bantamweight: Although he is not yet on the 118-pound title radar, Caballero, 22, has impressed with a fighting style that already has earned him multiple appearances on Showtime’s ShoBox series. In his recent bout, Caballero wore down Cutler Bay resident Jessy Cruz with a seventh-round TKO two months ago at the BB&T Center.

• Yunieski Gonzalez, light-heavyweight: The native of Cuba is perhaps one of the South Florida-based fighters that soon could make the breakthrough. Gonzalez is developing impressive fight finishes, such as his up-from-the seats knockout win over Rowland Bryant in March at the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena.

Barthelemy a champ

Rances Barthelemy, 27, became the latest Cuba native and Miami-based fighter to win a professional world title. Barthelemy knocked out defending champion Argenis Mendez in the second round and captured the International Boxing Federation junior-lightweight crown Friday in Minneapolis.

Adeptly using his height, Barthelemy peppered Mendez with solid combinations to the head in the first round and increased the pressure the following round with a scored knockdown.

Barthelemy (20-0, 13 KOs) dropped Mendez (21-3-1) again as the second round ended. Referee Pete Podgorski counted Mendez out, earning Barthelemy the 130-pound title.

“All throughout camp, Rances gained confidence in what he was doing as he prepared for the fight,” said Chico Rivas, who took over as Barthelemy’s lead trainer after John David Jackson left to train Mendez. “The easier part of the whole process was the fight.”

Rivas acknowledges the controversy regarding the punches that ended the fight occurred after the bell. But Rivas said the debate shouldn’t dampen his fighter’s accomplishments.

“He was controlling everything when the fight ended,” Rivas said. “Before the fight, I told him that you are facing a champion and there is a respect factor involved. But after he looked so impressive in the first round I told him before the second, ‘If the opportunity is there, drop it.’ ”

Barthelemy, 27, joins compatriots and fellow Miami residents Guilllermo Rigondeaux and Richar Abril as titleholders. Fellow Cubans Erislandy Lara, who now lives in Houston, has a second-tier super-welterweight belt, and Yoan Pablo Hernandez is a cruiserweight champion based in Germany.

Read more here: Numerous up-and-coming boxers ready for a breakout year - Boxing - MiamiHerald-com

2014 is shaping up as another eventful year for boxing. Already promotions are being lined up for some of the games biggest stars; Saul Alvarez is scheduled to go on March 8, Manny Pacquiao returns on April 12 and Floyd Mayweather performs on May 3. But all three are on pay-per-view, meaning you will have to fork over $60-$70 a pop to watch them. In addition to that, it was already announced that all three of Alvarez's bouts this year will be on pay-per-view.

So right off the bat, if you're a hard-core fan of the Sweet Science it means that in addition to your monthly cable bill for HBO and Showtime, where the premier fights are broadcast in the U.S., you will need to find another $400 or so in-between your couch cushions or start working some extra shifts at the job to see boxing's marquee names.

And that's not even counting what could be another pay-per-view event in the first half of the year, if the bout between middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto is made for June 7 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

What's even more maddening is that while these promotions are already on the schedule, there's one important component missing for these dates: actual opponents. Right now, there have been no official dance partners lined up for any of these above-mentioned slots (even Martinez-Cotto is still a ways away from being completed) and as of now, they are all facing the ubiquitous "Tom Bob Anderson" -- in other words, TBA.

The business of boxing is telling its beleaguered loyalists to take out another mortgage on the house to see the superstars of the sport ply their trade against a bunch of interchangeable parts in the first half of the year. There are rampant rumors that any day now Alvarez will be matched against Alfredo "Perro" Angulo, a hard-nosed, tough Mexican, who's coming off a stoppage loss at the hands of the talented Erislandy Lara in his last outing. Pacquiao is mulling over his next fight, and it could be a rematch versus Tim Bradley who defeated him in what was a highly disputed decision in June of 2012. As for Mayweather, Amir Khan, who hasn't fought since surviving Julio Diaz last April, claims to have signed a contract to face him, but as of yet, that fight has still not been finalized.

Oh, and one fight you won't see is the long-awaited showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao, the two dominant figures in the sport who have seemingly circled each other for years now without ever actually stepping into the ring versus each other. The failure to make this fight happen is among the sport's greatest failures -- which is saying something. And the annual reports of this finally becoming a reality in 2014 have already been shot down, and the focus is on next year.

But in the meantime, boxing will trot out Alvarez, Pacquiao, Mayweather and then Cotto, month after month. The quality of the fights doesn't really matter all that much, it seems, compared to the name of the fighters headlining. And it looks as if the power brokers in boxing expect the masses to react like Pavlov's dog at the mere scheduling of these pay-per-view fights.


Boxing fans will need big money to see the big names. | SportsonEarth-com : Steve Kim Article

Heavyweight boxing contender Joseph Parker was the victim of a nightclub assault while holidaying in Samoa.

Parker was punched in the head and had his face scratched when attacked by two men and a woman after posing for photographs with fans at the Club X nightclub in Apia on December 29.

A rising star who has been tipped to one day challenge for a world title, Parker received medical treatment for bruises and scratches to his face. He made a statement to Samoan police, and was told his attackers were subsequently arrested.

The 21-year-old New Zealand heavyweight champion was attacked after being separated from his cousins at the club, owned by relatives.

Shortly after he posed for photos with a brother and sister, the sister became abusive.

"The sister just started causing trouble out of nowhere, saying that I was a rude dude, saying that I think I am all that because I am a boxer. I said 'how was I ever rude'? That was pretty random."

Parker said he asked the pair to leave the nightclub.

"Her brother started trying to argue with me and then her husband came in trying to argue with me. While I was talking to the husband the brother came from the side and punched my eye. I went to grab him and hold him then the husband jumped in and started punching. Then the wife jumped in and started scratching my face."

Parker, who has won six of his seven pro fights by knockout, said he didn't retaliate at all. After the attack his parents took him to the police station to make a statement.

"After that we just left it in the cops' hands. All I heard was that they got picked up and thrown into prison. I think they are waiting for their court case next week."


Boxing star attacked by trio in Apia club - Sport - NZ Herald News

Five-time boxing champion Evander Holyfield, known for his Christian faith, has been scolded by a narrator on a reality television show in the United Kingdom for expressing biblical views about homosexuality.

The narrator on the “Big Brother” show warned him: “Before you entered the Big Brother house, the rules regarding unacceptable language and behavior were explained to you. Last night in a conversation with Luisa, you expressed the view that being gay was not normal and that it could be fixed.

“Expressing these views will be offensive,” Holyfield was told. “Big Brother does not tolerate the use of offensive language and must warn you to consider very carefully the effect expressing such views may have and the harm and offense you may cause by repeating these views inside the house.”

Holyfield, whose online biography notes he won some $230 million in the boxing ring and has “tried to do some good with it, giving millions to the church and to various causes he supported,” had been filmed in a conversation with another reality show participant, Luisa.

She raised the subject, asking if there are homosexual athletes. He said yes.

She then complained that “no one stands up and says that.”

Holyfield’s answer was direct.

“The Bible lets you know that’s wrong, that’s right,” he said.

She argued that some people are just that way.

Author Brad O’Leary takes you deep inside the battle save the nation’s Judeo-Christian identity, in “America’s War on Christianity.”

“If you’re born and your leg was turned this way, what do you do? You go to the doctor and get it fixed right?” Holyfield asked.

When Luisa said it’s “not about being fixed,” Holyfield said: “You know how handicapped people. … You can’t say because they were born that way you can’t move that.”

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality defended Holyfield.

“Portions of the conversation are hard to make out, but essentially Holyfield compares homosexuality to a handicap and then commits the unpardonable sin – in the eyes of pro-homosexual ideologues – of saying it is a choice.”

LaBarbera said the “faceless ‘Big Brother’ scolding at the end is priceless as the accusing British ‘Big Brother’ producer plays the role of America’s GLAAD – dictating that Holyfield’s speech against homosexuality is unacceptable and will not be allowed.”

“The episode hits close to home for what is happening in the Western world, such as Canada’s ‘hate speech’ law, and we at AFTAH have no doubts that more than a few ‘gay’ activists similarly would love to ban speech they deem ‘offensive.’”

The story developed only weeks after the Arts & Entertainment Network in the U.S. suspended “Duck Dynasty” superstar Phil Robertson on a complaint by GLAAD regarding his condemnation of homosexual behavior.

The backlash from the show’s supporters and sponsors convinced A&E to back down. The network plans to resume work on the programming with Phil Robertson and the rest of the “Dynasty” cast.

A&E explained that as “a global media content company, A&E Networks’ core values are centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect.”

“We believe it is a privilege for our brands to be invited into people’s home and we operate with a strong sense of integrity and deep commitment to these principals. That is why we reacted so quickly and strongly to a recent interview with Phil Robertson.”

Sign a petition here that demands an apology from A&E and WND will deliver it to A&E!

See why Duck Commander Phil Robertson is “Happy, Happy, Happy.” And get up close and personal with The Duck Commander Family

Robertson’s comments came in an interview with GQ magazine in which he championed biblical values and the battle against breaking God’s commandments.

“Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong. … Sin becomes fine. Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he said.

Paraphrasing a passage from the book of I Corinthians, he said: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers – they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.

“We’re Bible-thumpers who just happened to end up on television,” he said of his family’s instant rise to fame. “You put in your article that the Robertson family really believes strongly that if the human race loved each other and they loved God, we would just be better off. We ought to just be repentant, turn to God, and let’s get on with it, and everything will turn around.”

Read more at Boxing legend pummeled for biblical beliefs

In two years at the helm of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza has the network's boxing franchise at an all-time high and poised for another big year in 2014.

Showtime got involved in boxing in 1986. While it has been home to a number of major fights, producing several significant pay-per-views featuring Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. in the 1990s, the network has always been a second-class citizen to premium cable leader and rival HBO.

But times, well, they are a-changin'. Although HBO remains the clear leader in overall boxing viewership -- which it should, given that it has 29.2 million subscribers to Showtime's 22.8 million (a gap that has closed substantially in recent years) -- Showtime has had a vastly improved slate of fights on Espinoza's watch, leading to critical acclaim and the network's strongest boxing viewership ever.

Espinoza replaced Ken Hershman at Showtime after Hershman, ironically, left the network to head up HBO Sports. Espinoza has made Golden Boy Promotions, which has boxing's deepest stable of fighters, the de facto exclusive promoter of the network's flagship "Showtime Championship Boxing" program. With HBO announcing in mid-2013 that it would no longer put on Golden Boy fights, Espinoza had an even bigger pool of its fighters to pick from to populate his telecasts.

The strategy clearly worked. Showtime delivered numerous deep cards, had many of the most-viewed fights in its history, and featured many of the sport's most recognizable names.

While HBO's 2013 viewership was essentially stagnant, Showtime's average viewership for "Showtime Championship Boxing" was up 21 percent from 2012, Espinoza's first year, and a whopping 59 percent from 2011, Hershman's final year.

In 2013, Showtime had three of its five largest average audiences for boxing and four of its six most-watched individual bouts.

In addition, Showtime's dormant pay-per-view business jumped to No. 1 on the strength of the network's deal with pound-for-pound and pay-per-view king Floyd Mayweather Jr. Showtime and parent network CBS lured Mayweather away from HBO with a 30-month contract worth about $200 million for up to six fights.

Mayweather fought twice in 2013, generating more than 3 million pay-per-view buys. His May fight with Robert Guerrero sold, depending on who you believe, either a little more or a little less than 1 million units. Mayweather's September fight against Canelo Alvarez was a blockbuster. It set the all-time pay-per-view revenue record ($150 million) and sold 2.2 million subscriptions, second-most in history. With Mayweather slated to fight two times in 2014, another avalanche of revenue is expected.

For Espinoza, 2013 couldn't have gone any better.

"It starts with doing quality fights, competitive fights top to bottom on our cards," he told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "We're doing high-quality events and the fighters delivered great entertainment. We saw stars, we developed prospects. We did a very good job helping our established guys progress to the next level, guys like Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman, and we saw guys like Shawn Porter take a huge leap. We are putting them in tough, challenging fights and they're advancing to the next level.

"We're very happy with the success of the Mayweather-Canelo pay-per-view. We saw fighters like Bernard Hopkins and Adrien Broner do big ratings for us. Candidly, I couldn't have asked for a better year. Year 1 was a transition year in terms of adjusting our on-air talent, the way we produce our events; we cleaned up some leftover obligations we had and we positioned a lot of guys to be successful going forward. And then we hit our stride in 2013 and we had great event after great event."

Espinoza addressed a number of other topics. Here's what he had to say:

The Mayweather deal

It shook up the industry and turned Showtime from a pay-per-view afterthought to the leader. With two more Mayweather events on tap for 2014 and perhaps three Alvarez fights, Espinoza hopes to keep the ball rolling.

"Signing Floyd was without question the highest impact move we made," he said. "In terms of the impact to the industry, it announced this was going to be the start of a new era at Showtime, and the first year of our relationship couldn't have gone better. There was a learning curve on the first event [against Guerrero] because we were working with Floyd and his team for the first time and getting the kinks out."

Espinoza said the event generated more than 1 million buys, even though others in the industry insist it did closer to 850,000. It's been a source of frustration for Espinoza, who did not want to rehash the controversy.

"I've stopped talking about it. It's not worth kicking up the dust again," he said. "We thought we'd be in the neighborhood of a million and that's where we are. It's an old issue."

The September fight, however, was a monster event.

"It exceeded our expectations in terms of financially and visibility," he said. "I actually think that the first year [of the Mayweather deal] went much more smoothly than I would have thought it would have. I would have expected some more growing pains. All in all, it went well for both sides."

Mayweather's future

Mayweather will fight May 3 and plans to fight again in September. His opponents are not set, although Amir Khan, despite being viewed by many as undeserving of the fight, is the probable May foe. Espinoza, however, said nothing with Khan is done.

"There are certain realities on what opponents are available and what conflicts are in place," Espinoza said, referring to the cold war between Mayweather/Golden Boy and Top Rank, which promotes fighters such as Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr., who would make for attractive opponents. "Of the opponents available, Floyd's goal and our goal is to make the biggest event possible," Espinoza said. "Which is going to be the most challenging, competitive opponent and most

The heavyweight boxer known as the Russian Mike Tyson can now move one of his fingers and his legs, but only ever so slightly.

Magomed Abdusalamov, 32, doesn’t recognize anyone, can’t speak and his three young daughters haven’t seen him in nearly three months. They have no idea he is practically motionless at a Rockland County rehab hospital.

A portion of the boxer’s skull is missing, and he is a shadow of his former 230-pound girth. He is surrounded by photos of his family and images from his boxing career.

While the state inspector general is probing the brutal Nov. 2 boxing match that left Abdusalamov gravely injured, the boxer is getting therapy every two hours at the Helen Hayes Hospital in the hope that he regains something of his former self.

“Boxing? Forget about it,” said Amin Suleymanov, a cousin of Abdusalamov who visits him daily.

Not only is the boxer’s life at stake, so is the future of the New York State Athletic Commission, the official body that regulates boxing and would oversee the equally dangerous sport of mixed martial arts if approved in New York.

The IG’s office is interviewing those who were on the scene for the Madison Square Garden bout between Abdusalamov, a native of Dagestan who’d recorded 18 knockouts, and Mark Perez of Cuba. The probe is focused on whether the contest should have been stopped and on the Athletic Commission’s oversight of Abdusalamov’s medical condition.

Abdusalamov broke his left hand in the first round, and by the sixth round his face was swollen and he had difficulty closing his mouth.

No one with the authority to stop the contest, including Melvina Lathan, the chairwoman of the athletic commission who was in the audience, did so.

The slugfest went the full 10 rounds and left Abdusalamov a bloody loser, with a broken hand, nose and facial bone.

When blood appeared in his post-fight urine test, a sign of possible internal bleeding, the state inspector assigned to Abdusalamov advised the fighter to go to the hospital, a source said.

But the inspector made no arrangements — despite two ambulances standing by at the Garden — and, instead, suggested the boxer and his entourage hail a cab and ask the cabby where to go.

At 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, there were no cabs available outside the Garden.

“It was horrible. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off,” said Boris Grinberg Jr., the son of Abdusalamov’s manager.

The boxer’s condition was getting worse, and he vomited on the sidewalk.

Grinberg managed to commandeer a cab from a couple that had just hailed one.

They arrived at a crowded Roosevelt Hospital emergency room 25 blocks away, where Abdusalamov had to wait. Someone advised the entourage to step outside, call 911 and ask for an ambulance to take them into the very same ER in order to get faster service.

Abdusalamov vomited again and passed out. Grinberg’s father arrived, made a fuss and the fighter was finally seen by doctors who found he had a blood clot in his brain. The boxer had surgery, later suffered a stroke and was put in a medically induced coma.

He was transferred to Helen Hayes in late December. His family has retained a lawyer but can’t file a notice of claim until Abdusalamov’s wife is formally appointed as his guardian.


Injured boxer clings to life as state probes care after brutal bout | New York Post

Preparing for his next night is just one segment of Azea Augustama’s busy day at Fight Club Gym near downtown Miami.

Augustama works with approximately 60 students as a boxing instructor and personal trainer.

“The numbers usually increase at this time because of the New Year’s resolutions,” Augustama said.

And as they attempt to drop pounds and tone figures, the students also are learning about Augustma’s fight aspirations. In fact, many of his current and former students will attend Augustama’s next ring appearance Saturday night.

Augustama, a Miami resident who represented his native Haiti in the 2008 Olympics, will fight in the main event of a card at Casino Miami Jai-Alai. Augustama will face Jermain Mackey of the Bahamas in a scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight bout that headlines an announced six-bout show.

“I’m more than ready,” Augustama said. “Working in the gym doesn’t allow me to gain too much weight between fights.”

Not only is Augustama a familiar fixture at Fight Club Gym, but also he has become the featured fighter at Miami Jai-Alai since boxing shows resumed at the venue last year. Augustama headlined all three of veteran trainer and promoter Al Bonanni’s 2013 cards.

“I enjoy fighting at home. I am fortunate that family and friends can watch me,” Augustama said. “I don’t see it as pressure to impress but as a motivator.”

Now, as he begins his sixth year as a professional, Augustama (16-1, 9 KOs) looks to make a significant move that will eventually land him coveted matches in the 175-pound class. At least Augustama is familiar with some of the division’s hierarchy, having sparred with current champion Bernard Hopkins and former titleholder Tavoris Cloud.

“I learned a lot from both of them,” Augustama said. “Every time I sparred with these guys, I didn’t go in there with a sparring partner mentality.

“As a fight fan and competitive fighter I watch all the up-and-comers and established fighters. I definitely see myself as the highest level.”

Bonanni, who trained Cloud to his light-heavyweight title, believes Augustama can crack the division’s elite.

“If there is somebody who deserves a break it is this kid,” Bonanni said. “Early in his career, there were some situations that didn’t go his way but his confidence never wavered.

“He is talented, hard-working and, more importantly, a good person.”

Hall inductees

Miami resident and 1980s heavyweight contender Jose Ribalta heads the new class that will be inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. Ribalta, 50, fought 12 world champions, including Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson, during an 18-year career that ended in 1999.

Another retired fighter joining Ribalta in the 2014 class is Mike McCallum, a world champion in three separate weight classes between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Kid Gavilan, one of the popular champions of the 1950s, will be inducted posthumously.

The 2014 Hall of Fame class also includes Miami-based promoter Felix “Tutico” Zabala Jr., whose father Felix Sr. was inducted four years ago, Walter Alvarez, the lead local promoter that brought the memorable title fight between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello to the Orange Bowl in November 1982, and promoter-manager Luis De Cubas.

The Hall of Fame events and induction ceremony will be June 20-22 in Tampa.

Read more here: Miami Beach boxer Augustama learns while he teaches - Boxing - MiamiHerald-com

In 1519, Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda discovered a sleepy bay on the South Texas coastline. He named the settlement Corpus Christi in honor of a Catholic feast day celebrating the Body of Christ.

The last time I traveled down to the area was to see now-paralyzed boxer Paul Williams in what would turn out to be his last professional prizefight. Williams outclassed Nobuhiro Ishida over 12 rounds in February 2012 to run his ring record to an impressive 41 wins, 2 losses with 27 KOs. That May, the 30-year-old Williams was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident that has since robbed him of his mobility from the waist down. I could not help but to reflect on Williams as my wife, Rachel, and I made the three-hour trek from Houston to Corpus Christi last November to see Mikey Garcia face Rocky Martinez in the very same venue as Williams’ last fight.

The last time I saw Paul, he stood tall in a red jumpsuit, eyes bright and wide, brimming with confidence about a certainly bright future. I’m told he’s the same now, save for he rises just about halfway as high from the ground as he used to now that he’s confined to an altitude of a wheelchair.

Boxing isn’t short of tragedies. As my headlights peer through the darkness to reveal the winding of the ever approaching highway, my wandering mind rests on the recently passed Frankie Leal. Leal was killed by Raul Hirales last year in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Leal was down once in Round 6 and again in Round 8. He died three days later from a brain injury sustained during the fight. I was ringside 19 months earlier when Leal was put into the hospital for three days due to reported swelling of the brain. Leal was knocked out by Evgeny Gradovich in March 2012 in San Antonio. He was outslugged for 10 rounds and hauled out on a stretcher after the fight was stopped at 2:15 of the very last round. I never thought the kid would fight again, but he fought five more times after. He shouldn’t have. Now he’s dead.

Magomed Abdusalamov isn’t dead. But the heavyweight will never be the same. Abdusalamov had a blood clot as well as part of his skull removed following a 10-round decision loss to Mike Perez last November. The fight was a clear win for Perez but didn’t appear to be the kind of butchering that should raise an alarm until after Abdusalamov ended up in the hospital. Abdusalamov went to the hospital afterwards with a headache before being placed into a medically induced coma by his doctors. The 32-year-old, a married father of three young daughters, eventually awoke and is now facing a grueling recovery that may make up the better part of the rest of his life. He may never be the same.

Boxing is a dangerous sport. And some say boxing should be no more.

I disagree, though I’m not sure I can now put it into words. After all, I’m driving now, and Rachel and I are doing mundane things like looking for a place to eat. It’s Wednesday night. We take the exit towards a town named Victoria because Rachel thinks it’s larger than it turns out to be. No dice. There are absolutely no restaurants worthy of our presence. We end up a few miles down the road at a little Mexican seafood place in a town called Refugio. It’s good, and we’re glad we practiced some patience to get there.

Soon we’re heading towards Corpus Christi. We’re silent now as we listen to the new album from a Canadian band called Arcade Fire. The music is full of emotion. It is life in the form of song. There are no subjects off limits. We drive through the darkness until we make our way to our hotel on the beach. It’s an older hotel, but the price was right and the location can’t be beat. We enjoy a few glasses of red wine before heading to bed. We discuss many things before sleep takes us – Paul Williams, our friends in boxing and how increasingly difficult it is becoming for a person to be religious in a secular world.

No matter, we’re happy to be here. We’re happy to be alive.

We wake up late on Thursday morning. Real life beckons more than I’d like. I end up working my day job for most of the morning. I manage a team of technical writers for a well known oil and gas company. I work all morning why Rachel waits patiently for me to finish. In the end, I’ve worked past the day’s press conference at the local museum. No matter, we’ll have a good day.

We end up eating Tex-Mex at a local eatery. Next, we visit the Texas State Aquarium. Two dolphins and their trainers provide entertainment beyond what we believed possible for sea mammals to do. Soon, we’re casing the coastline, looking for a rocky pier to walk out onto together. We love the ocean. We love the waves and the sounds of the water as it rumbles around us. Soon we’ve found a perfect place to experience it. We’re standing at the edge of a pier, waves crashing around us, looking out into the great beyond. We cannot control the ocean. It is beyond us.

We chat about the day. We visited a cemetery that day while the daylight still kept us warm. Rachel and I are Catholic. The beginning of the month was All Souls’ Day, the time when all the Catholic Church prays for the poor souls in purgatory making their way into heaven. We stop by a cemetery, one where we see there is a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Virgin Mary. We pray to her on our knees. Afterwards, we walk around the small group of headstones, complicit with the sadness of the flowers. There is a headstone in the corner. I make my way to it. It is small and off alone by itself. I notice a small marking upon it. Is that a tiny light saber? The kind from the Star Wars movies? It is, and I wonder if a small scrap of worldliness has blown upon this marker of the dead. No, it’s a sticker on the tombstone. Oh, I think…it’s someone who really liked the movies. Cool. This old man loved Star Wars. But no…wait. I notice the dates etched into the rock. This person, this young boy, died at age 6. There are more than just stickers on his stone. There are little

LOCAL amateur boxing guru Samuel ‘Don King’ Lukanga has decided to take a break from the sweet science sport.

Lukanga said he had decided to temporarily put a ‘full stop’ to all competitions in order to concentrate on grooming a new crop of boxers.

The man, who has been behind the invincible Lukanga Boxing Club said on Monday that he is taking a two-year break to lay a strong foundation.

He denied reports of a rift between him and the new Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) executive led by Kenneth Gimugu.

“This is just a temporary measure. When I come back, I want to sweep from novices, intermediates and the National Open,” vowed Lukanga.

Lukanga Boxing Club that dominated the local scene is out of the on-going National Intermediates Championships at Lugogo. The club also skipped the novices last November.

According to insiders, Lukanga was incensed after most of the clubs that he had been bank-rolling let him down in the UBF elections last September.

He was fully behind the candidacy of Kyandondo South MP Issa Kikungwe, but despite having a vote count of over 20 clubs personally, Lukanga was shocked as Gimugu beat Kikungwe 31-24.

The renowned Kampala traditional healer admitted the bitter election pill. “These are the boys I have been maintaining for so many years but they were just misled,” he said.

Lukanga’s compound in Najjanankubi, previously a beehive of activity as boxers of all ages train, is now deserted after he froze his support.



Lukanga takes break from boxing

The identity of Floyd Mayweather’s next opponent will be known within a week. It won’t be Manny Pacquiao.

The American, who arrived in South Africa on Wednesday, named Britain's Amir Khan and Argentina's Marcos Maidana as possible opponents for a bout in Las Vegas on May 3.

“We will know within the next seven days," said Mayweather, who is undefeated after 45 professional fights.

He passed off Pacquiao's attempts at making their mega fight happen as desperation because of the Filipino's unpaid tax issues.

"Two losses and tax problems later, now he all of a sudden wants to say: 'You know what? I'd do anything to make the fight happen.'"

SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) president Gideon Sam said a visit from Mayweather was would help rejuvenate the sport and awaken the sleeping boxing giant in South Africa.

Mayweather's visit comes after a successful national boxing indaba last year and is part of the overall strategy to make boxing a mainstream sport in South Africa.

"The timing of his visit could not have been better. It slots perfectly into the resolutions [taken at the indaba] and the implementation," Sam said.

"I have no doubt that those privileged to be in the areas that Mr Mayweather visits will be abuzz with excitement, and eager to soak up his experience and tips to promoters, trainers and coaches."

Mayweather's visit was designed around the theme "Reawakening the giant".

Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy said: "We welcome Mayweather to our country. We are fortunate to have a renowned boxing champion visit our nation and interact with our athletes.

"We hope the excellence Mayweather has shown in the sport of boxing will encourage and motivate our boxers to aim higher and excel at international level.

Mayweather will conduct motivational talks with amateur and professional boxers, interact with local promoters and engage with the corporate sector to mobilise funds to support SA boxing.


Mayweather to boost SA boxing - SuperSport - Boxing

Jose Sulaiman, the longtime head of the World Boxing Council who promoted renowned fighters and introduced rules to protect boxers, died Thursday. He was 82.

Sulaiman's son, Mauricio Sulaiman, said the man who many say raised the profile of the sport in his four-decade leadership at the Mexico-based council died at a hospital in Los Angeles. He had been hospitalized at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center for months for a heart condition.

The WBC confirmed his death, calling him the "father of boxing." Sulaiman was a member of boxing's Hall of Fame since 2006.

"He certainly treated all fighters as his sons and daughters, he suffered from their problems and worked every single day of his life to try to make boxing better and safer," said the council in a statement.

The son of a Syrian mother and a Lebanese father, Sulaiman was born on May 30 in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico. He boxed as an amateur but quickly shifted over to working as a manager and a referee.

He trained and promoted many fighters.

Sulaiman is known for supporting Julio Cesar Chavez, Mexico's most famous boxer, and then the fighter's son, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez was among the first fighters to tweet a message, sending his condolences and calling him his "second family."

"Rest in peace, my dear 'licenciado' Balin, like I used to call him with a lot of love," read a message posted on Chavez's account.

Most recently, Sulaiman helped Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, a young champion who last year challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one of the richest fights ever. He lost to Mayweather.

Sulaiman also managed to institute new rules and regulations regarding boxers' safety and welfare. Among these changes was the reduction in the number of rounds from 15 to 12.



World Boxing Council Chief Sulaiman Dies at 82 - ABC News

Floyd Mayweather‘s incredible boxing career is nearing an end. According to the The Associated Press, one of the most successful fighters in the history of boxing will hang up his gloves for good next year. The report says that “Mayweather told guests at a gala dinner in South Africa on Friday that he remembers his first fight when he was a kid in 1987, and that ‘September 2015 will be my last.’” The 36-year-old doesn’t look like a boxer whose age is preventing him from being dominant in the ring. Over the last two years, Mayweather has defeated quality opponents such as Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero and Saul Alvarez to improve his all-time record to 45-0-0 (26 knockouts and 19 decisions).

The one fight all boxing fans want to see is Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. Both fighters have talked about a potential bout, but it doesn’t look like these all-time greats will step into the ring any time soon. What we do know is that boxing will be a much less exciting sport without Mayweather as its top star.

Read more at: Floyd Mayweather: Last Fight Of Boxing Career Will Be In September 2015 | Boxing | NESN-com

Jean Pascal dominated an unusually tentative Lucian Bute to win the match-up of former world champions by unanimous decision before 20,479 at Montreal's Bell Centre on Saturday.

The decidedly pro-Bute crowd could do little to help their fighter, who appeared more concerned with not getting hit than with launching attacks. One judge had it 118-110, another 117-111 and the third 116-112.

Pascal took Bute's minor NABF title and something called the WBC diamond belt, but more importantly, he bested his fellow Montreal fighter in their long-awaited showdown and made himself a player again in the light-heavyweight division.

The fight, billed as the biggest between two Canadians, was a one-sided affair, with Pascal (29-2-1) on attack from the outset.

"I've waited seven years for this," Pascal said. "When I go into the ring, I want to dominate. ... That was my game plan - dominate all the time. Go in and out. To be vicious, active, explosive, and that's what I did from start to finish."

He failed to knock his Romanian-born opponent down, however, although he opened a nasty cut on Bute's nose in the 10th round. Bute (31-2) often looked confused and unwilling to go on attack.

"Jean Pascal was the better fighter and deserved to win," Bute said. "Why I let the fight go like that I don't know. ... I'll have to go over the fight many times with my team."

Despite losing, Bute made it clear his career is not finished. He even told the crowd he wants a rematch.

"It's for you to say if I have a chin or not," Bute said. "I took a lot of punches and I didn't go down."

Heavyweights Mike Perez and Carlos Takam fought to a 10-round majority draw on the undercard. Perez (20-0-1) and Takam (28-1-1) spent most of the bout with their heads locked together, trading short range blows to the head and body. Perez suffered a cut from a headbutt in the third round that hampered his performance.

The Frenchman Takam's best moment was late in the sixth when he rocked Perez with a right. Ringside judges scored it 96-94, 95-95 and 95-95.

Perez, a Cuban living in Ireland, had Mago written on his trunks in honour of Russian Magomed Abdusalamov, whose career he ended with a 10-round victory on November 2 in New York. Abdusalamov spent a month after the bout in an enduced coma and remains in a rehab centre unable to walk or talk.

Eleider Alvarez (14-0) of Montreal was supposed to be in the co-feature against veteran Thomas Oosthuisen, but the South African pulled out with an injury.

His replacement, Ottawa's Andrew Gardiner (10-1), put on a gutsy show, winning some of the middle rounds, until he was stung at the end of the eighth and the gifted Colombian took back control. Alvarez got the decision 99-91, 96-93 and 97-93.

At the end, the crowd cheered Gardiner and booed Alvarez, who had refused to touch gloves with his opponent after the bout after something was said to him from Gardiner's corner.

Read more at Jean Pascal dominates Lucian Bute with unanimous win in Montreal | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is going to have problem than anybody expect, if he decides to pick Great Britain welterweight champion Amir Khan as his next opponent for his May 3 showdown at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Showtime Boxing analyst Steve Farhood.



In an interview with HustleBoss, Farhood said Khan will give Mayweather all kinds of troubles because his fighting style is similar to Oscar De La Hoya's approach when the Golden Boy Promotions top boss fought the Grand Rapids native in 2007.

"I think Khan has a style, being tall, being rangy, and being very fast, that could give Floyd a lot of trouble," Farhood said via hustleboss. "The blueprint for how to fight Floyd was created by Oscar De La Hoya years ago. Rangy, tall guy with a good jab. That's the way Khan will fight. I don't think Floyd's a big enough puncher anymore. I don't think it's as easy fight as many people think."

De La Hoya nearly defeated the universally recognized pound-for-pound king in that 12-round slugfest, but Money May escaped with a split decision victory in the action-packed WBC light middleweight showdown.

Hot Now: Floyd Mayweather Next Fight: Money May Targeting Fight With Manny Pacquiao in September of 2015

Standing at 5-foot-9, Khan certainly has the length and the range to fight Mayweather while throwing punches from a distance. The Briton also has quickness in both hands and feet, and agile enough to move side-to-side with ease.

However, the biggest question mark on Khan is his durability, particularly his fragile chin. He has been floored several times throughout his career (against Danny Garcia and Breidis Prescott), and it's obviously a big concern for promoters, who wants to give fans an entertaining competitive fight with Mayweather.

24 Boxing News analyst Scott Gilfoid even considered Farhood's comments laughable, stressing that Khan stands no chance to pull off an upset or even finish the 12-round fight against a boxer of Mayweather's caliber.

"I just can't imagine Khan staying on his feet after getting hit with a hook that he doesn't see coming from Mayweather. If former lightweight Julio Diaz was able to put Khan on the canvas, then you can bet that Mayweather will be able to do the same thing again and again and again until the referee chooses to stop the fight," Gilfoid said.

Gilfoid added that comparing Khan's boxing style to Oscar De La Hoya's performance against Money May few years ago does not make sense at all. It's all because Mayweather did not even give his full 100 percent as he opted to carry De La Hoya in the fight out of respect.


2014 Boxing News: Floyd Mayweather in Big Trouble Against Amir Khan, Analyst Says - International Business Times

After seven years of preliminary bouts and club show headliners, Joey Hernandez is finally within proximity of a world title opportunity.

Hernandez’s fight against Cornelius Bundrage on Friday night at Indio, Calif., could have championship consequences. The International Boxing Federation has designated the bout a junior-middleweight title eliminator. The winner will earn the No. 1 ranking and possible challenge to the sanctioning body’s 154-pound champion, Carlos Molina.

“I win this fight and this can actually change my life,” Hernandez said before a workout Friday at Caicedo’s Training Center in South Miami. “I know I’m in position to fight for the title and in this boxing game a win over [Brundage] can get me big fights.”

The IBF, the major organization that doesn’t have absurd titles such as interim or super champions, creates vacancies in the top two positions of every weight class. Once the positions are filled, fighters could eventually fight an additional eliminator or earn a direct world title fight.

Golden Boy Promotions won the purse bid to promote the Bundrage-Hernandez fight for $11,000. Bundrage, a former IBF junior-middleweight titleholder, is the higher-ranked fighter and will earn 60 percent of the purse.

“I wanted to fight this guy since we were with [former] promoter Don King,” said Hernandez, 29, who is a Miami native. “He never wanted to sign the contract. Now we’re fighting for less money.

“The money is not the issue for this fight. It is the opportunity for my career to finally go to the next level. I feel like I’m fighting the right guy at the right time. He has been at the high level.”

Bundrage (32-5, 19 KOs) won the IBF crown with a fifth-round technical knockout win over Cory Spinks in 2010. Bundrage, who turns 41 in April, made two successful defenses before losing the belt against Ishe Smith in February 2013.

“He’s always been a hard-nosed guy that comes forward and has a big right hand,” Hernandez said of Bundrage. “There’s always that one fight when they don’t look the same.”

Hernandez (23-1-1, 13 KOs) will attempt to negate Bundrage’s championship experience with youth and quickness.

“I’m looking to use my lateral movement, speed and youth,” Hernandez said. “The way I move is going to give him a lot of trouble.”

Hernandez also is enthused about reuniting with former trainer Herman Caicedo, who worked with Hernandez earlier in his career.

“I left to work with a couple of other trainers, but this is home,” Hernandez said. “Herman knows how to push me hard in training camp. I’ve put 100 percent into this fight. I have no excuses. I’ve had 80 to 100 rounds of sparring. This is the fight of my life and I’m ready.”

Around the ring

• Miami resident Azea Augustama won a lopsided unanimous decision against Jermain Mackey in the main event of a show late Saturday at Casino Miami Jai-Alai.

Augustama (16-1) maintained a busy approach and hurt a game Mackey (18-7) with solid combinations throughout the eight-round light-heavyweight bout. Two judges scored the fight for Augustama 79-73, and the third had him winning 80-72.

On the same card, Miami resident Hairon Socarras scored a fourth-round technical knockout over Jamal Parram. A junior-featherweight, Socarras is now 10-0-1 with 7 KOs.

• Jean Pascal won a unanimous decision against Lucian Bute in a light-heavyweight bout between former world champions Saturday in Montreal. All three judges scored the fight for Pascal 117-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

Heavyweights Mike Perez and Carlos Takam fought to a majority draw in the bout preceding the Pascal-Bute match. Two judges scored the fight 95-95, and the third scored it for Takam 96-94.

• Jose Sulaiman, who served as president of the World Boxing Council for 38 years, died of heart failure Thursday in Los Angeles. A native of Mexico, Sulaiman had been hospitalized since October. He was 82.

Read more here: Miami’s Joey Hernandez ready for title belt chance - Boxing - MiamiHerald-com

When Dana White and his business partners, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, bought the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2001, they followed a simple formula to build their mixed martial arts empire around television.

"We basically used boxing as a model of what not to do when we built UFC," White says. "Whatever boxing did, we did the opposite."

So it would might come as a surprise, then, that White, who has been oft-quoted as saying boxing is a dying sport, is the brainchild and co-producer of a boxing reality show.

The eight-part series, The Fighters, premiers Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel. It takes place in South Boston, where White grew up boxing and once co-owned a gym. One of the show's main characters, trainer and gym owner Peter Welch, is a longtime friend. They are trying to resuscitate boxing in the notoriously tough neighborhood.

"When I moved to Southie," Welch says in the show's opening, "I had to learn to fight or I had to learn to run. I learned to fight."

White, the UFC president, is producing the show with Craig Piligian, a longtime TV producer who has created such reality hits on Discovery as American Chopper and Dirty Jobs.

People mistake him as a hater of the Sweet Science, White says, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"I love the sport of boxing," he told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "People always think I'm out to get boxing, or don't like boxing. It couldn't be any more opposite. If it wasn't for boxing I wouldn't be where I am today."

White acknowledges the failure of other boxing reality series, most notably The Contenders, which ran for four seasons on NBC and ESPN. The man who helped create the UFC's long-running reality hit, The Ultimate Fighter, was sure TV did not need another competition-based boxing show. But the sport's "characters" have always intrigued him.

"If you go to a boxing event, it's the same characters everywhere you go," he says. "If you think back to the heyday of boxing, when (Mike) Tyson was coming in ... All these amazing personalities, that's what we're going after in this thing."

In Thursday's first episode, characters abound. From the trainers, including Welch, and his thick South Bahston accent, and Joe Ricciardi, who sounds eerily like "Mick" from Rocky, to the boxers they are charged with getting in fighting shape — one, Anthony McKenna, 25, whose parents emigrated from Northern Ireland and who has battled alcohol and drug abuse for years; the other, Matt Phinney, 28, has been living in his car. Both fighters see this as their last chance.

"What I wanted to do was take a look inside boxing at these characters," White said. "In reality television, we're driven by characters. We're driven by competition ... by conflict and battle, all these things that happen."

White, Piligian and Discovery are betting that viewers will be as absorbed by the cast of characters as they have been.

"With The Fighters we really wanted to get back to the roots of boxing in Southie, where the sport is so integral to the culture," said Piligian. "These fighters put everything on the line, and I believe this show will breathe new life into boxing."

Said White: "Everything I hear at Discovery, they love this show.

"(If) we get through Season One and people like it, we're going to switch it up and start building these characters, the fighters, and create and build talent."

Then, he says, they can think about moving to different cities such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles, even London. But for now, South Boston will get its 15 minutes of fame.

"And in a little while," White said, "we'll see if I was right or if I was wrong."


UFC's Dana White launches boxing reality show

UFC veteran Chris Lytle retired from mixed martial arts competition after a triumphant victory against Dan Hardy at UFC Live 5: Lytle vs. Hardy in August 2011, but his desire to compete at a high level burns on, as he searches for new opportunities and challenges.

Lytle, who was an accomplished professional boxer prior to turning to MMA, now wants to fight boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., and he thinks he can beat the celebrated fighter at his own game.

"I think after about three or four rounds he's going to experience the fact that he has been boxing 30 years, and he's going to slow down from it," Lytle told Bleacher Report. "I think as the third of fourth rounds come to an end, I'll start picking up my pace and really start dominating after that. I don't see him knocking me out, and I don't see me getting stopped, so I think it's going to be a tough night for Roy."

Before trying out for Season 4 of the UFC's hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter, Lytle posted an impressive 13-1-1 record in professional boxing competition. After deciding to try his hand at MMA, however, his boxing career abruptly ended, and he views the bout with Jones Jr. as an opportunity to gain some closure on that chapter of his combat sports career.

"I've always wanted to have another boxing match," Lytle said. "I'm not really willing to get back into MMA; I like the way MMA ended for me. I thought [the Jones Jr. fight] sounded like a great idea, and I was like, 'Man, I've always wanted to have another boxing match, but I just never had the opportunity to do it.'"

While much talk circulated in the past regarding a Jones Jr. fight against other MMA stars like Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz, Lytle feels he is the best-equipped fighter to tackle this cross-sport challenge against somebody of Jones Jr.'s stature.

"I can't think of anybody else who's affiliated with the UFC or mixed martial arts who really make sense for this," Lytle said. "I was 13-1-1 in boxing, and I beat a few good prospects. I just had to stop due to MMA."


Making a potential showdown with Jones Jr. even tastier, Lytle said he can be ready to go in short order. The former UFC welterweight said he still boxes regularly, and he has spent a considerable amount of time recently helping local boxers prepare for their own bouts inside the ring.

With this, Lytle feels he could make the fight with Jones Jr. a reality within a couple of months.

"I know I'm in boxing shape, and I know I could go the distance without having any problems," Lytle said. "I think I could get a six-to-eight-week camp in and be ready to go."

Lytle's submission victory over Hardy in 2011 served as a storybook conclusion to his MMA career, and now the Indiana native said he sees the fight with Jones Jr. as an opportunity to bookend his boxing career with another dramatic, dreamlike victory.

"I've been watching Roy Jones forever, and there was probably a 10-year period where he was the best boxer in the world, in my opinion, bar none—just dominating," Lytle said. "I've always seen Roy as that fighter, and just being able to go in and compete and get a victory over a guy like that...that'd be a dream come true."



UFC Veteran Chris Lytle Wants Boxing Match with Roy Jones Jr. | Bleacher Report

The biggest fight in Gunnar Jackson's professional boxing career is back on.

Tauranga's NZ Middleweight Champion thought his hopes of fighting champion Australian Anthony Mundine had been scuppered this week when American journeyman Billy Lyell was named to replace Carson Jones who pulled out through illness.

But in a last minute change, Jackson will now go toe-to-toe in the ring in Brisbane on Wednesday night with the controversial Mundine in a Pay For TV spectacular that should reap Jackson the biggest pay day of his career.

Jackson will be fighting for Mundine's WBA International middleweight title which would go nicely beside Jackson's WBA Oriental middleweight title he won in December.

Mundine is a two-time world champion who has fought Shane Mosley, Mikkel Kessler, Sven Ottke, Danny Green and Manny Siaca among others. At the age of 38 he wants to take on superstar Floyd Mayweather later this year.

Jackson's trainer Chris Walker, from Tauranga Box Health and Fitness, says Jackson is rated in the top 15 after winning the belt in December but this was a big step up in class. "Mundine is a class act who has pretty much beaten all the top Aussie boxers," said Walker.

"It is a good opportunity for Gunnar but there is no doubt about it we would have liked a six-week lead in to something like this, especially a 10-rounder. But Gunnar's last fight was just five weeks ago and it was probably one of his better performances.

"He has kept reasonably active over the Christmas period and he has got back into the swing of things pretty quickly. We are not going over there to lie down but to give it 100 per cent. We are definitely the underdogs but we like that tag and Gunnar will bring his A game and we are going in there with a game plan."

Walker says they have already started working on analysing Mundine's fights and working on strategies to upset him.

"Mundine is very slick, has very quick hands, good footwork and is very observant. You can't make any mistakes with him and he has a very snappy jab.

"But he has been knocked out two to three times so he doesn't have a granite jaw.

"Gunnar is very durable and is getting better with every fight. I dare say the other camp will probably be taking him a little bit lightly which will probably fall in our favour as well.

"Gunnar is going there to fight and is looking forward to the opportunity."



Boxing: Kiwi Jackson up for Mundine fight - Sport - NZ Herald News

The greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen has announced he wishes to return to fighting following injury but with one minor detail, it won’t be in MMA. Anderson Silva has announced he wishes to fight Roy Jones Jr in a boxing match up and given recent movements by the biggest combat sports organisation on the planet, that might be entirely by design.

Long before the UFC President, Dana White, was running a multi-billion dollar business he was an “obsessed” boxing fan who harboured ambitions of his own to compete in the square ring.

He grew up in the Boston boxing scene, a legendary area for combat sports that boasts many, many stories including the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, John Sullivan. So with the newly minted television series running and plans of the UFC’s greatest of all time returning to fighting via boxing, many fans could be forgiven for thinking there is something more in store.

“I had to learn to fight or I had to learn to run,” declares Boston boxing identity, Peter Welch in the teaser to "The Fighters", a new reality series produced by the UFC president. “I learned to fight.” So did the UFC boss and he also never forgot his roots.

Similar to White, Anderson Silva grew up in a tough environment and used combat sports as his vehicle to wealth and success. Perhaps this is why the Brazilian has chosen the “the sweet science” of boxing to plan his return from adversity and the horrific injury he suffered at the knee of UFC middleweight champion, Chris Weidman.

"When I get better, that’s my biggest goal, especially because I won’t be able to fight MMA too soon," Silva revealed on his facebook page when asked about a fight with Jones. "Fighting in boxing is in my plans, yes, as soon as I’m able to fight again. And Roy is a big idol."

In reverse, this would be like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson announcing plans to compete in the UFC, had it of been in existence and as successful a sport as it is today.

But both Silva and White are realistic about if and when this might even happen. With “The Spider” acknowledging that he is not in a place to be thinking too far ahead just yet and the UFC president flat out refusing to green light any such fight at this point in time.

"I’m 100 percent positive that I will be back, but it’s not only up to me,” Silva said. “They are helping my recovery and it is super positive thus far. But I need their feedback to be back at 100 percent. I don’t see myself doing other thing, at least for now. It’s not just fighting, it’s also training."

“It’s always interesting with Anderson, we’ll see,” White revealed at a media scrum ahead of UFC: Henderson vs Thomson.

“Anderson is a long, long way away from throwing a punch or a kick or anything.

“Let’s just see how he recovers before we start talking about fights.”

With White’s new reality series and Silva’s plans to trade leather with the recently crowned WBU cruiserweight champion, UFC fans around the world could also be forgiven for looking on with a degree of confusion. But given the track record of both men at creating PR masterpieces that tends to turn anything they touch into gold, this most certainly could prove to be yet another masterstroke from the best in the business.


Anderson Silva and Dana White could bring UFC success to boxing | MMA Kanvas