Boxing archive

The gloves Muhammad Ali wore when he beat Sonny Liston to win his first heavyweight world title fetched $836,500 at an auction on Saturday, almost 50 years to the day after the fight.

The gloves were part of Heritage Auctions' Sports Platinum Night Auction, and the price was posted on their website. The buyer was not identified.

The gloves were used by the young fighter from Louisville, Kentucky, then named Cassius Clay, to launch a legendary boxing career that made him a global sport icon. Clay won a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics and four years later faced a heavily favoured Liston at Miami Beach.

Liston was coming off back-to-back first-round knockouts of Floyd Patterson, the first to end Patterson's six-year reign in the heavyweight division and the second to defend the crown. But along came Clay, a brash and outspoken 22-year-old who taunted Liston.

On February 25, 1964, Clay stopped Liston in the seventh round to claim the crown, screaming as he jumped around the ring with his arms raised.

"I shook up the world," said Clay, who the next day announced that he was changing his name to Muhammad Ali and embracing the Islamic faith.

Ali would knock out Liston the following year in the first round at Lewiston, Maine, and defend the title eight more times before his 1967 refusal to be inducted into the US Army caused him to be stripped of his titles and banned from boxing for 3.5 years.

In 1971, the US Supreme Court overturned his conviction, and Ali would go on to win the title twice more.


timesofindia-indiatimes-com/sports/off-the-field/Muhammad-Alis-boxing-gloves-fetch-860500-at-auction/articleshow/30897295-cms

For months, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has toyed with the boxing world. Less than an hour after he defeated Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14, he said at the post-fight news conference that he would next fight on May 3. He simply didn't identify his opponent.

From that moment until late Monday afternoon, Mayweather toyed with boxing media and fans like a marionette, with a crescendo building for an answer.

Finally on Monday, Mayweather's 37th birthday, he announced via Twitter that he would face Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) in a welterweight title fight. The announcement ends months of feverish speculation, including numerous ridiculously erroneous reports that a deal was done.

Mayweather did not announce whether the fight will be in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden, where he has fought his last eight matches, or in New York at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn.

"Marcos Maidana's last performance immediately brought him to my attention," Mayweather said in a statement. "He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him: Beat me."

Earlier this month, Mayweather (45-0,26 KOs) said on Twitter he'd let the fans decide who he should fight and conducted the voting on his web site. Amir Khan, a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics and a former world champion, won that voting, but fans loudly protested on social media, seeming to vastly prefer Maidana. ESPN-com conducted a similar poll and Maidana won it by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.

But Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said Mayweather has more than 11 million followers on various social media outlets and the poll was just one vehicle used.

"Bottom line, we took a look at everything that was coming through on the various outlets and we're fighting the very best guy out there," Ellerbe said.

Maidana is coming off of a rousing upset victory in December over Mayweather pal Adrien Broner. Khan hasn't fought since struggling to a decision victory over the faded Julio Diaz in April.

The horse race, as fighters lined up to plead for the big with the top-selling pay-per-view star in the sport, got almost comical at times. Fighters were pleading for the match on Twitter as Mayweather sat back and saw them promote his fight for him. Mayweather sold 2.2 million on pay-per-view in the Alvarez fight, the second largest PPV total ever and the highest grossing fight in history.

The expected huge sales for any Mayweather fight has led to boxers taking to Twitter to beg Mayweather for the match or to try to rally fan support. A late entrant into the derby was Cuban Erislandy Lara, who never was remotely in the running, but generated a campaign on Twitter that led to his fans demanding that Mayweather give him the shot.

By choosing Maidana, Mayweather picked a hard-hitter who is coming off the most impressive win of his life. Most boxing experts believe Khan has the better physical skills, but Khan rarely lived up to his vast potential and he hasn't looked good in quite a while.


Khan complained about Mayweather in an interview with The National, a newspaper based in The United Arab Emirates. Khan is from the United Kingdom but is of Pakistani descent.

He told the paper he could have made the fight even bigger by taking a press tour to the Middle East.

Everyone says Mayweather is a genius in promoting fights. I offered them to take this fight to parts of the world where boxing has never been tapped in such a big level.

Press and public training tour in UK, Dubai … I have spoken to the prime minister in Pakistan and they have even agreed to provide military security for the press tour there. That’s how big I can make this fight.

But nothing came of it and Khan was left without a fight. He turned down a proposed December title fight against Devon Alexander with the hope he would get the Mayweather fight.

As with his 2013 bouts with Robert Guerrero and Alvarez, the match with Maidana will be distributed via Showtime pay-per-view.

Ellerbe said the venue will be decided by the end of the week. He said, "We love the MGM, and we don't have a thing against the MGM, but this is business and it's about making the best deal."


Y! SPORTS

Venezuela's reputation as one of the most murderous nations on earth was further underscored on Tuesday when former boxing world champion Antonio Cermeno was found dead on a roadside.

The body of Cermeno - nicknamed El Coloso (The Colossus) during his career - was discarded on the Caucagua-Higuerote highway in Miranda a day after he and his family had been kidnapped. His relatives had escaped when their abductors stopped at a garage to refuel the car.

The 44-year-old was a popular figure in Venezuela and the boxing world. He held the WBA super bantamweight title from 1995 until 1997, and then won the featherweight title in 1998. After his retirement in 2006, he worked on social projects and helped to develop the Street Boxing program for disadvantaged youths.

His killing is the latest high-profile blow to a nation that is struggling to grapple with an explosion of violent crime.

Last month, a former Miss Venezuela and telenovela actress was found murdered in a car along with her British ex-husband Thomas Henry Berry.

In the wake of that killing, President Nicolás Maduro promised to tackle crime, particularly abductions and homicides. According to a 2010 UN report, Venezuela is among the four most murderous nations on earth. However, unlike the others - Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica - it suffers far less from poverty and inequality, which has raised the question why it is to vulnerable to violence.

Concerns about crime are high among the priorities of the tens of thousands who have taken to the streets in recent week, resulting in more killings.


Former boxing champion Antonio Cermeno found dead | World news | theguardian-com

Angry about bankers’ bonuses? Cheer up - you might be able to watch one being thumped in a boxing ring near Cambridge.

A big new charity festival is being organised for the city, and one of the events is white-collar boxing, where professionals such as lawyers and bank workers are schooled in the art of pugilism - and then square up to each other in front of an audience.

Stars from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing may also be appearing at The Cambridge Roar festival, to be held in July at the Quy Mill Hotel, with local people bidding at auction for a chance to dance with them.

The festival is being staged to raise money for The Prince’s Trust, and will also feature a sporting gala dinner, a comedy club and a ball, with events staged in a big marquee.

The man spearheading it is the hotel’s manager Tony Murdock. He told the News: “It will be a unique event for the Cambridge area, and it’s intended to raise money for The Prince’s Trust, which is the UK’s leading youth charity. Once costs have been taken out, all the remainder will go to the trust, and we estimate that could be as much as £150,000.

“We have some great entertainment planned. We’re hoping we will be able to get some of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing to come along, and there will be the White Collar Boxing. We’re working with a couple of agencies to find participants, who will be a mix of local professional white-collar workers - there might even be a banker among them - and people from further afield.

“Hopefully lots of local people come along to take part.”

A Facebook site called The Cambridge Roar Ltd has been set up, and a launch event is planned on March 21 when more details of the festival will be announcedw

Read more: White-collar boxing and Strictly Come Dancing stars may feature in new charity festival called The Cambridge Roar | Cambridge City News, Cambridge Local News Stories & Latest Headlines

Undefeated Ghanaian boxing champion, Braimah Isaac Kamoko, a.k.a Bukom Banku has notified the Ghana Boxing Association to ban him three years if he loses the impending April 18th non-title bout to his challenger, Ayittey Powers.

According to Banku, he will send his challenger to the canvass three times in the first round before knocking him out in the 7th round.

The bout dubbed, ‘Judgment Night,’ under the bill of Box Office Sports (BOS) promotion with support from Supersports and TV3 is expected to pull record crowd to the Accra Sports Stadium in April.

The World Professional Boxing Federation Light Heavyweight and WBO Africa Light heavyweight champion with un undefeated record of 23-0-0 and 17 Kos, vowed to add Ayittey Powers to his long list of opponents who have succumbed to his mighty punches.

Speaking at a press conference at the Accra Sports Stadium, the boxer noted that his challenger who claimed he had prayed for victory should go back to review the prayers because he (Banku) is not the stepping stone for Powers to achieve greatness.

“Ayittey wants to be champion? Let him look for another boxer who he can defeat. As for me, if Ayittey Powers beats me, make GBA ban me three years,” he declared.

His challenger, Ayittey powers who is based in Australia expressed his excitement at the opportunity to take on the champion.

According to Powers, he returned to Ghana to announce himself in a big way to the boxing world and what better way to start than to despatch the WPBF and WBO light heavyweight champion.

“Banku cannot beat me wherever he passes. Come April 18, victory is mine,” he declared.

President of the Ghana Boxing Association, Lawyer Peter Zwennes urged the two boxers to put on a good show on the fight night, noting that the fight would help raise the profile of Ghana boxing higher while offering the two the opportunity to showcase their unique talents.

Mr. Zwennes noted that the hype that the bout has received is likely to attract record crowd to the Accra Sports Stadium and probably beat the 130,000 record fans that watched the 1976 showdown between Ghana’s DK Poison and Danny Lopez at the same venue.

In a show of sportsmanship, Bukom Banku called on his supporters note to insult or use abusive words on his opponent claiming Ayittey Powers is a friend.

According to the champion, both boxers leave in the same community and receive support from every fan when a boxer in the community fights an outsider.

He noted that this is not a quarrel but a boxing contest to determine the best man in the game and urged his opponent and the fans to rally together to give Ghanaians and the world a beautiful fight.



Banku to GBA: Ban me if I lose to Powers | Boxing News 2014-02-27

Just over 50 years ago, on February 25, 1964, a slender, young, not-quite-heavyweight with a big mouth beat Sonny Liston. Nobody was supposed to be able to do that. The new champion’s name was Cassius Clay, but not for long. Shortly after becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World, Clay became Muhammad Ali. According to veteran Boston Herald boxing writer Ron Borges, even before doing that, the new champ had appealed to at least one young sports fan and irritated an older one.

“I can remember listening that night on the radio with my dad,” Borges said. “And I remember two distinct things. One was when the announcers were saying, ‘Clay’s blind. He’s got something in his eyes.’ And my father, beaming at me, and feeling ‘this is not good.’ And then when the fight was over, and Clay had won, and my father having nothing to say, and me cavorting around the room like an idiot.”

Borges and lots of other people soon began to learn that the triumph of Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali would have repercussions beyond boxing.

“It was just the beginning of such a societal shift, because it represented things that people like my father’s generation didn’t understand.”

Ali went on to beat Liston in a rematch that featured the so-called “phantom punch.” Then, over the course of a long career interrupted by a three-year suspension for refusing induction into the military, Ali established himself as one of the greatest ever to enter the ring. Boxing historian John Schulian, among others, feels no other recent heavyweight has measured up to Ali.

“Absolutely not,” said Schulian. “There’s nobody who comes close. You can have a great fighter, but he’s got to have great opponents, too. You think of all the people Ali fought, starting with Liston, then the old champions, Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, but then he got to [Joe] Frazier, [George] Foreman, and Ken Norton and Jimmy Ellis, good fighters and great fighters, both.”

Given what Muhammad Ali eventually came to represent beyond boxing, the sense of what he meant to the sport that brought him to public attention 50 years ago has perhaps faded. Today there’s lots of boxing on cable TV, and in 2013, according to Sports Illustrated, the highest earning athlete on the planet was a boxer: Floyd Mayweather, winner of titles in five different divisions. But Ron Borges sees in the current state of the Heavyweight Division a dramatic contrast to the days when Ali dominated his sport.

“I would bet if you and I walked down the street here, on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, and stopped people and said, “Who is the Heavyweight Champion?” 50 percent would say ‘Mike Tyson.’ Because that’s the last person they remember.”

Ron Borges is partly right.

“Mike Tyson,” Tommy Morrison guessed when asked the question.

“Oh, no way,” said a young woman. “No idea, sorry.”

“Uh, Klitch-something. I know he ran for President of the Ukraine, or whatever,” said Daniel Nice.

The Ukrainian guy is Vitali Klitschko, who’s done most of his recent fighting in Europe. He is, in fact, the Heavyweight Champ, at least according to some of the competing Federations and Associations that confer such titles, and he may be the next President of Ukraine, though he hasn’t actually run yet.

But the point Ron Borges was making probably stands. 50 years ago, everybody on the street would have been able to name the man they called “the Louisville Lip.” The man who called himself “The Greatest.” In the generation before Ali, Joe Louis became a hero to Black Americans in particular when he won the heavyweight crown, and Americans in general when he beat Max Schmeling. Well before that, such larger-than-life legends as John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson dominated the division. Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, these are names with which to conjure. But after Ali, it could be argued that people were more familiar with the name and face of promoter Don King than they were with the combatants. Like several of them, George Foreman fought on and on and on. It might be said that Leon Spinks and Buster Douglas were embarrassing as champions, but in some respects they’d have been embarrassing even if they hadn’t been champions.

At the other extreme, Muhammad Ali not only won the championship multiple times, he was vindicated by the Supreme Court, which overturned his suspension, and he performed goofy magic tricks for African children, then showed them how the tricks were done. Decades after his career in the ring ended, he lit the flame at the Atlanta Olympics and impressed viewers with his determination despite the Parkinson’s syndrome from which suffers. In a sense, the story that came to contain all those elements and more was launched in Miami just over 50 years ago, when the young man who would become Muhammad Ali raised his hands over his head as Sonny Liston failed to come out of his corner for the beginning of round seven, a development so shocking and sudden that Steve Ellis, bringing the news to the TV audience, had to urge his partner, the same Joe Louis who’d held the title that had just changed hands, to do his job.


The State Of Boxing 50 Years After Clay vs. Liston | Only A Game

It is hard for a man of his size to hide. In a 16-year professional boxing career, Vitali Klitschko called on courage and conviction to secure a place in sporting history and now those same qualities have tempted him away from one arena of cut-throat conflict to another.

For the past five of those years, he has juggled his emotions and passions, attempting to increase his influence and impact in Ukrainian politics while retaining a world heavyweight title that was his reward for decades of dedication and sacrifice. He last fought in September 2012 and with every passing month it became more likely that his focus was being diverted.

In October 2013 he announced his intention to run for the presidency in the planned 2015 election, and two months later he said he would be taking a break from the ring, declaring that the needs of his country were greater than his own remaining boxing ambitions. And so he took to the streets, playing a visible role in the hostilities that had come to threaten the very make-up of his nation.

The country's elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, and his allies were ousted in a popular uprising in February. Yanukovych fled the Ukrainian capital Kiev following four months of anti-government protests which degenerated into a bloodbath. At least 88 people were killed, many of them shot dead in clashes with security forces, and an election will take place on 25 May.

"No fight, no win," Klitschko said recently.

One enduring image was captured last month on TV screens, websites and newspaper front pages across the world, showing the 42-year-old's face covered in powder from a fire extinguisher as he came under attack while talking to protesters in Kiev. He has become an easy target for political analysts, too, as his level of experience is denounced as an insurmountable flaw.

"As I see it from the outside," says his long-time manager Bernd Bonte, "Vitali is electable because he was never involved in the so-called 'old' politics there. No corruption, he was never supported by any oligarchs or any strange people. The people know he made his money inside the boxing ring, not through some dark sources. That's a big, big plus.

"My feeling and my impression is that Ukraine is ready [to accept Vitali as president], especially because of his reputation. Of all these people running, he is the only one with a clear background, where people know how he made his millions. He has the right advisers and the right ideas and because he lived so many years in Germany and the US, he knows what a democracy means."

Public speaking is not considered one of Klitschko's strengths, but that might not prove a problem, according to Olexiy Solohubenko, BBC News's Ukraine expert. "Klitschko has a good reputation in the country: while being very rich, people think he earned his money honestly," he says. "And not being seen as corrupt sets him apart. Will this be enough for the heavyweight? Forecasting Ukrainian politics is like gambling in boxing."

The stereotypical portrait of boxers is often inaccurate and rarely more so than in the case of Klitschko. He speaks four languages and has been awarded a PhD in sports science. He and his younger brother Wladimir set up the Klitschko Foundation to help under-privileged children everywhere and they are Unesco champions for sport - roles and commitments which have brought them into contact with the great and the good in many countries.

In hindsight, it might be argued that Vitali's boxing career was only ever a means to an end.

Bonte came into contact with him while working in the German media and was struck early on by the big man's interest in events beyond the ring:

"I remember very well flying back from a Lennox Lewis fight in the US in 1999," he recalls. "We both couldn't sleep and we were talking all these hours back to Europe. In nine or 10 hours, we spoke for maybe 10 minutes about boxing and the rest about history and politics.

"I am an MA in politics and history and I could see how interested he was about politics in general, about German history. I was not surprised that he later founded his own political party."

Klitschko established the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (Udar) in 2010 and many of the principles which served him well as a boxer will be key to his prospects as a force for change. From the moment he turned professional in 1996, he has surrounded himself with trusted advisers. "You have other good examples in politics," says Bonte. "You have to have the right people around you and that is the case with Vitali."

At a fraction over 6ft 7in, he is among the tallest heavyweight champions in history. He and Wladimir are the only brothers to hold versions of boxing's most coveted prize at the same time.

In a sport synonymous with sad endings, their names are unlikely to be heard accompanied by the sound of violins. Rarely have the men who take the blows retained more control over their lives, their careers and their money.

And Vitali started as he meant to continue. As high-class amateurs, the brothers were courted by all the major players on the US professional scene, Don King among them. In the documentary "Klitschko", released two years ago and nominated for a Sports Emmy award, there is a compelling sequence which reveals much about Klitschko's inner steel and stubbornness.

With a reputation cemented as one of the most successful promoters of all time, King invites Vitali and Wladimir to a meeting in plush surroundings and promises: "Today Kiev, tomorrow the world."

The self-styled "PT Barnum of boxing" then retires to a piano and serenades his potential recruits with a seemingly flawless, seductive rendition of Don Giovanni's Overture.

Vitali is left to marvel at the multi-talented impresario's ability to tinkle the ivories. Not just a promoter, he thinks, but an artist too... until curiosity kills the moment.

"I walked around the side and it was all a fak

Antonio Tarver, who has made millions in the ring as a championship-level professional boxer, was arrested in Clearwater on Saturday night on a warrant from Nevada accusing him of passing a worthless check, according to an arrest report.

Tarver, 45, a native of Orlando who lives in Lutz, was arrested by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on U.S. 19 and Sunset Point Road about 10:30 p.m. on a Clark County warrant related to passing a check with insufficient funds, according to the affidavit. Details of the charge were not available Sunday.

Clark County is where Las Vegas is located.

Saturday's arrest is the latest setback in Tarver's successful, but tumultuous decadeslong career that includes 30 professional victories and six losses, according to ESPN.

Tarver's family could not be reached for comment Sunday.

On his official website, Tarver's career is described as "a series of professional ups and downs." As a youngster, he battled drug problems and lost during the qualifying rounds for the Olympics in 1992. But in 1996, at the age of 27, he qualified and was part of the U.S. boxing team, bringing home a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics.

Tarver, known as the "Magic Man," continued boxing after that, eventually challenging Roy Jones Jr. as a professional. He lost their first encounter in 2003, but won two followup bouts with Jones.

Throughout his career, Tarver won several titles, both as a heavyweight and as a light-heavyweight, including from the International Boxing Federation, the International Boxing Organization and the North American Boxing Federation.

Despite his first victory against Jones in 2004, Tarver filed for bankruptcy that same year, owing more than $900,000 to several entities, including the Internal Revenue Service, the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and Don King Productions, according to court records.

More trouble for the boxer came in 2012 when he tested positive for steroids, according to ESPN. He was suspended from boxing for a year.

His latest professional fight was a November victory over Mike Sheppard in Sunrise.

"I've gotten to being a five-time champion by having the will and the determination to bounce back when everyone else has pretty much counted you out," Tarver told the Tampa Bay Times in 2012. "That's really been the story of my life and career. I take pride in that."

Beyond the boxing ring, Tarver also played heavyweight boxing champion Mason "The Line" Dixon in the 2006 movie Rocky Balboa and has served as a commentator for Showtime Sports Boxing. He also has served as a guest commentator for ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

Tarver lives in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Van Dyke Road in Lutz worth more than $715,000, property records show.

He remained at the Pinellas County Jail on Sunday without bail.



Former boxing champ Antonio Tarver arrested in Pinellas | Tampa Bay Times

FORMER world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has offered to mentor a young Victorian boxer who has become an instant worldwide hit on You Tube after knocking out two opponents with vicious right upper cuts.

“Iron Mike” is one of more than 500,000 people who have seen Sunshine heavyweight boxer “King” Craig Vitale on You Tube disposing of two his opponents in just his second and fourth fights.

ESPN’s Sports Nation and Fox Sports both sought permission from Vitale’s promoter/manager Adam Wilcock to show the clips and it wasn’t long after that Tyson, once described as “The Baddest |Man on the Planet” was in contact to see what supporter he could offer.

Vitale’s trainer Sam |Brizzi said Tyson has seen a bit of himself in the Aussie fighter — devastating punching power, along with raw and hungry talent.

Tyson tracked down Wilcock and asked whether he was interested in bringing the Samoan-born Vitale to America for training and possible fights.

Although Vitale is unbeaten in his seven amateur and five professional fights, he has only been in the boxing game for about two years after going to Wilcock’s Boxingfit gym at Highpoint as a |”fat kid” to initially lose weight and has shed nearly 40kgs.

Brizzi said the 25-year-old is still a novice who needed to develop the body of a heavyweight fighter before attempting better credentialed opponents and considering any offers from Tyson.

“He wants to have a long successful career rather than just be a flash in the pan,” Brizzi said.

“We are under no illusions that he is a novice, but he has a future and we will take him along bit by bit as he learns on the job.

“Mike Tyson was Craig’s idol and he’s thrilled that he has shown interest. When Tyson saw him and then goes out of his way to contact us, it shows that we are doing something right.”

Vitale’s next opponent is New Zealander Maletino Iakopo who he fights tomorrow (Friday) night on a six-card professional show at the Reggio Calabria Club in Brunswick, Melbourne. Tickets are available at the door for the show which starts at 7.30pm.



No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

Angulo was withdrawn by the referee during the 10th round of an ultra-physical main event, a decision which upset the beaten fighter and trainer Virgil Hunter who felt he was coming on strong despite being behind on the judges’ cards after nine.

Nonetheless, with both of Angulo’s eyes heavily swollen, referee Tony Weeks triggered boos from a packed house at the MGM Grand who were enjoying a hard-hitting main event by calling a halt to proceedings.

Angulo would have needed a knockout at that stage to win, and even trainer Hunter in his protests over the stoppage admitted he would have withdrawn his fighter had he taken “three or four more good punches” from Canelo.

Alvarez, however, says he would have happily finished the job he started and secured a decisive win.

"I could've fought another 10 rounds but the referee stopped the fight. It's not my problem," Alvarez said. "I came here to fight."

Francisco Aguilar, chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said he agreed with Weeks' decision to stop the fight, saying it wasn't just the referee's decision but it was made after several consultations with ringside physician Jay Coates.

"Safety is always our first concern and the doctor was watching," Aguilar said.

The 23-year-old Alvarez moved to 43-1-1 with 31 KOs and took a sizeable step towards cementing his place as one of the sport’s top fighters, despite coming up short against pound-for-pound best Mayweather.


Boxing - Canelo beats Angulo in brutal Vegas bout - Yahoo Eurosport UK

Boxing's superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. has some nice words for Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber, who is recently battling traffic and misdemeanor charges left and right. Money May admitted in a recent interview that he was impressed by Bieber's fundamental boxing skills, as even called him a solid boxer.



After his announcement of upcoming showdown with Argentine brawler Marcos Maidana, Mayweather sat out with a local radio station via Karceno of Boxing Socialist and tackled some issue on and off the squared circle. One of the topics talked about is Bieber's ability to box well.

Bieber, who accompanied Mayweather in some of his big matches against Robert Guerrero and Saul Canelo Alvarez in 2013, can execute his punches well on the mitts and even during sparring sessions, according to Money May.

"Actually, Justin Bieber texted me a video of him boxing before, sparring" Mayweather said about the first time he learned the singer has a little bit of boxing skills, " And he can box a little bit. I was surprised he can box a little bit. He has a fitness trainer, so he's getting a good shape now."

Mayweather even said that Bieber schooled him in a pickup basketball game at the singer's house a couple of days before the interview, beating him 188-182.

"I was just over Justin Bieber's house, I think a couple of days ago. He beat me in basketball but I let him. He won 188-182. He won fair and square, the guy is very very talented," Mayweather said in the interview.

Moreover, he added that he has been working with Bieber on other projects for quite some time such as the Money Machine and Filthy Rich records. Mayweather is convinced that he's in for a tough match with Maidana, who is coming off a sensational 12-round unanimous decision win over pound-for-pound rising star Adrien Broner in December.

Mayweather holds the WBC Welterweight title, while Maidana has the WBA welterweight title around his belt, making the match much more intriguing to watch.

Before Money May's decision to take on the brawler, Great Britain's Amir Khan was tapped as the favorite to win the Mayweather sweepstakes, but his unimpressive performance in the ring was enough reason for Money May's team to snub him in favor of Maidana.



Boxing News 2014: Justin Bieber to Take Career in Boxing? Floyd Mayweather Jr. Impressed by Singer

George Groves has called for foreign officials to be appointed for his rematch against Carl Froch at Wembley Stadium on May 31.

Froch retained his IBF and WBA super-middleweight titles in November after referee Howard Foster controversially stopped the bout in the ninth round. Groves campaigned for a rematch, and the Hammersmith-born boxer was granted his wish when the IBF ordered Froch in February to face Groves or risk losing his belt.

Keen to avoid a similar scenario, Groves is now demanding the domestic British Boxing Board of Control do not appoint the referee.

"The British Boxing Board of Control failed me in the first fight," Groves said at a press conference for the fight. "Froch was gifted the decision by Howard Foster. We wanted neutral officials. He awarded it in Carl Froch's favour and it cost me the fight."

Froch, however, feels Groves is showing a lack of respect to both Foster and the BBBoC. "Howard Foster is a credit to the Board and I'm not happy about it," he said.

"It makes a mockery of the British Boxing Board of Control with one of the biggest fights in British boxing history and they (Groves' camp) are saying we have to have neutral officials for it."

Promoter Eddie Hearn meanwhile has backed Groves' call, saying: "I feel the officials for this fight should be neutral. It's too big to have any blame or controversy."

Groves also taunted Froch in the conference by claiming he has "nothing to go on" from the first fight.

"This time round, he's going to have to go into camp, look to his trainer, Rob (Robert McCracken). I have a lot of respect for Rob, but somehow he's going to have to figure out what he can say to Carl which is positive from the first fight, because there is nothing.

"I don't have a clue how they are going to prepare for this fight, but I wish him the very best. He's certainly going to need it."

Wembley was chosen as the venue for the rematch, but challenger Groves believes he already has the upper-hand.

"Carl Froch has been mandated. He now has to fight a fight he doesn't want to take. A fight he knows he can't possibly win. It was a stonewall robbery the first time.

"I wish you [Carl] the very best in your training camp, because it's all systems go for me… Carl Froch knows there's nothing he can take from the first fight, absolutely nothing, apart from the gift that he was given in the ninth round by Howard Foster. He had nothing, he knew he was totally spent."

Froch admits he underestimated Groves in the first fight after falling to the floor in the first round, but insists he will not make the same mistakes in the rematch.

"I've got everyone telling me this kid shouldn't be in the same ring as you, that he's not boxed anyone in the top 15 in the world," Froch said. "The only person he has boxed in the top 15 in the world is me, and let's not forget he lost that fight, regardless of what you think about the controversial stoppage, which it was. That's the reason we're here.

"I took my eye off the ball, and it almost paid dearly. I've had all the earache and the antagonistic jibes and the digs. I've had it, I'm not going to have it again. We're going over old ground now. It's time for me to concentrate on myself.

"I'm ignoring Mr Idiot Boy and all his rubbish. I'm just ignoring it. It's going straight over my head. I've heard it all before. I'm not going to listen to it twice and make the same mistake twice."




Read more at George Groves wants foreign officials for rematch with Carl Froch | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk

Macon-Bibb's Parks and Recreation Department wants $16,000 in additional SPLOST funds to hire four part-time boxing coaches at Freedom Park Community Center.

Robert Welton, the Freedom Park community coordinator, says the renovations for new boxing arena there should be complete soon.

"We're shooting for another month-and-a-half to two months," Welton said.

Some say a boxing program could be just the outlet young people need.

But not everyone on Commission backs the idea.

"If the ultimate goal is simply the physical part of it, then that to me is not legitimate, but it was explained to me this will be an organized activity," Commissioner Elaine Lucas said.

But Commissioner Virgil Watkins says boxing and fighting are different verbs.

"Like martial arts is considered an art form, boxing is what we call a sweet science. That's because it's a true art form and professionalism goes into it," Watkins said.

That mentality is something former professional boxer Bubby Mitchell understands and why he decided to start training athletes in Macon seven years ago.

"It gives you a sense of direction on and off the mat," Mitchell said.

He says the sport is about respect and discipline and that can deter violence among youth.

"The faster the county realizes this sport can and will pull people off the streets and put these kids into something they can learn - it occupies them," Mitchell said. Though Freedom Park is undergoing $3 million in renovations, Mitchell says it takes more than sparkling equipment and a new arena.

"It doesn't matter how nice of a gym you have. You have to have coaches. You have to have these people take the responsibility and take the time to invest in these kids," he said.

He says there's a lot to be learned with a pair of boxing gloves and that it's time Macon-Bibb got in the ring, too.

During Tuesday's committee meeting, the operations and finance committee decided to take the item off the agenda.

The item could re-surface again in its next meeting in a few weeks.

Members say they need more time to discuss the focus of the boxing arena.




www-13wmaz-com/story/news/local/2014/03/11/freedom-park-boxing/6302045/

Pacquiao-Bradley II will air on April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT

Guys! Who are you rooting for in the Bradley-Pacquiao fight?

TMZ published a report this week alleging Floyd Mayweather might have sanctioned the kidnapping and beating of two former employees.

It had been an unusually upbeat week for boxing with lots of positive news emerging that’s sure to generate excitement about the sport.

New Jersey-based promoter Dino Duva announced the creation of a new company, Dynasty Boxing, in partnership with Terry and Tommy Lane, the sons of Hall of Fame referee Mills Lane. Zhang Zhilei, a 6-foot-6 super heavyweight who fought for China in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, is the first of several Chinese fighters the company plans to pursue.

Meanwhile, separate press conferences were also held in Manhattan to announce two much-anticipated bouts: 49-year-old Bernard Hopkins will challenge Beibut Shumenov of Kazakhstan in a unification of light heavyweight titles on April 19 in Washington D.C., and an usually grouchy Sergio Martinez of Argentina will defend his WBC middleweight title against popular Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden on June 7.

“The room is going to be electric,” promoter Lou DiBella said of Cotto-Martinez, set for the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade.

Add in Showtime’s offering Saturday night from Puerto Rico, where unbeaten junior welterweight champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs) of Philadelphia defends his WBA/WBC 140-pound junior welterweight titles against Mauricio Herrera (20-3, 7 KOs) of California, and all seems good in the world of boxing.

Then came reports from TMZ alleging Floyd Mayweather might have sanctioned the kidnapping and brutal beating of two former employees he suspected of stealing his jewelry.

This could just be a shakedown for money since word from Las Vegas is no charges have been filed, but lawsuits are being threatened. Still the news is troubling considering Mayweather’s legal history and his importance to boxing.

Should there be an investigation it likely wouldn’t hinder Mayweather’s scheduled May 3 pay-per-view bout with Marcos Maidana of Argentina in Las Vegas. But the remaining three fights on his six-fight $250 million mega-deal with Showtime could be in jeopardy if this leads to something criminal.

You would think Mayweather is smart enough to avoid participating in any kind of street justice. He served a 90-day sentence in the Clark County Detention Center in 2012 on a domestic abuse charge, and appearing before the court again could earn him harsh punishment.

Showtime has invested heavily in Mayweather and built much of its long-term boxing plans around his upcoming bouts. Losing his availability would be a huge blow to the network and the sport. It would be similar to what happened in the 1990s, when Showtime signed Mike Tyson to a huge contract only to see him get suspended and his reputation ruined for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear in their memorable rematch in 1997.

Stay tuned on all that.

Meanwhile, Cotto-Martinez should be one of those memorable Garden events. Martinez, one of the sport’s nicest gentlemen, might be the only person on the planet that doesn’t like Cotto, calling him “arrogant” and saying, “he acts like a little girl.” A packed house is expected as Cotto tries to become the first boxer from Puerto Rico to win a major title in four different weight divisions. Martinez has said he’ll knock out Cotto in nine rounds.

“If he’s going to prepare himself for only nine rounds, he’s going to have problems over the last three,” Cotto said. Tickets are available at the usual outlets but going fast.

Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs) is always intriguing as he defends his IBF light heavyweight title against the WBA champion Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs). “It’s the most important fight in my life and it will be the hardest fight of my life,” Shumenov said. “Bernard is a boxing genius. He is a legend. He has the highest boxing IQ and skills ever.”

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillen (30-0, 22 KOs) of New York will also defend his WBO middleweight title on the card against Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs) of the Czech Republic.



Troubling news on Mayweather mars big boxing week | New York Post

Vyacheslav "Czar" Glazkov rose to the occasion throughout most of the night in the biggest fight of his career.

But it took the unbeaten heavyweight prospect holding off a late rally from determined veteran Tomasz Adamek to secure Saturday's title eliminator.

Glazkov (17-0-1, 11 KOs) fought past 10 rounds for the first time in his career and scored a unanimous decision (117-110, 117-111, 116-112) at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pa. ESPN-com scored the bout 115-113 for Glazkov.

"I wasn't surprised because I felt I was controlling all of the fight and winning every single round," Glazkov said, through an interpreter. "I didn't have experience to go into 12 rounds, which was missing in my game plan, but I learned during this bout."

Glazkov, 29, dominated for the majority of the bout with a punishing jab that caused severe swelling around the right eye of Adamek (49-3, 29 KOs) in Round 2. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist from Ukraine continued to walk down and impose his size on Adamek, landing consistently with counter right hands.

"This is boxing, you know, sometimes it happens," said Adamek, of a badly swollen and bloody right eye that affected him throughout. "I have broken my nose in my career. This is boxing -- you never know what is going to happen."

Adamek, 37, was staggered by a hard right hand in Round 8 before getting hammered with power shots throughout most of Round 9. But the native of Poland never quit and posted a heroic final stand. Adamek produced his finest work in Round 12, connecting with a series of right hands on a fading Glazkov, whose left eye was swollen and bruised.

In the final two rounds, according to CompuBox, Adamek outlanded Glazkov 55-38 in total punches and 32-22 in power shots.

The loss snapped Adamek's five-fight winning streak since his 2011 title loss to Vitali Klitschko and dealt a major blow to any future hopes of contending for a belt. Because of that, Adamek openly considered retirement after the bout when asked if he plans on continuing.

"No, I have to stop," Adamek said. "I lose my chance and title shot is impossible. I don't know right now."

The victory proved to be a breakthrough one for Glazkov, who showed strong poise and confidence against a fighter with much more experience.

"This is a passing of the torch," said Main Events CEO Kathy Duva, who promotes both fighters. "Glazkov did everything he absolutely had to do to win this fight against a very tough and very accomplished opponent. Tonight he announced his arrival to everyone that he belongs among the top five heavyweights. Adamek is someone who has been a top 10 heavyweight for the last six to 10 years. I am really at a loss to say who amazed me more."

Chilemba handles Grachev

Light heavyweight contender Isaac Chilemba was simply too slick for the hard-charging Denis Grachev in the co-main event and cruised to a wide unanimous decision. Chilemba (22-2-2, 9 KOs), 26, did the majority of his damage by working off of his quick jab and countering on the inside with his right hand. The native of Malawi, who fights out of South Africa, was victorious by scores of 100-90 and 99-91, twice. ESPN-com also had it 100-90 for Chilemba.

Grachev (13-3-1, 8 KOs) persevered through cuts above and below his left eye, along with bleeding from his nose, to make it an exciting fight over the second half of the scheduled 10 rounds. The 31-year-old native of Russia, who fights out of San Diego, was simply unable to land a sustained amount of power shots.

The light-hitting Chilemba, who suffered a small cut above his right eye in Round 6, fought in a much more exciting style than he has become known for and did well to trade with Grachev on the inside at key moments.



Glazkov holds off Adamek's last stand - Boxing Blog - ESPN

The marriage between boxing and casinos has a new couple.

Hialeah Park, which unveiled a casino at the historic horse racing venue last August, will introduce boxing with its inaugural card on May 1. The main event and two additional bouts from the show will be broadcast live by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

“When we opened the casino, we considered various entertainment options, including sports,” said Frank Fiore, Hialeah’s vice-president of marketing and entertainment. “Boxing was the obvious one.”

The amphitheater complex that will showcase boxing sits next to the race track’s finish line. Seating will accommodate approximately 3,000 spectators.

“We have used the amphitheater for concerts and received positive feedback,” Fiore said. “That’s when the idea for boxing was considered.”

Local and national promoters contacted Fiore about booking the facility. But any deal would require the inclusion of a TV network telecast. Hialeah officials eventually reached an agreement with Hollywood-based Warriors Boxing and the ESPN networks to present the first show.

“The phone rang constantly and without naming names, all promoters were nice to deal with,” Fiore said. “Although they were generous and ambitious with their plans, at the end of the day ESPN and Warriors was the most natural fit.

“The TV angle is what we’re after. We think it is great exposure for the venue and it is difficult to match ESPN’s potential viewership. That eliminated those promoters interested in doing local club shows.”

The opening card’s main event will feature a welterweight bout between Roberto Garcia, of Weslaco, Texas and the Dominican Republic’s Victor Cayo. Fighters scheduled to appear in undercard bouts include unbeaten middleweight Jonathan Gonzalez of Puerto Rico and unbeaten light-heavyweight Yunieski Gonzalez, a native of Cuba and Miami resident.

“I’m very confident about this venture,” Fiore said. “After we announced our plans to have boxing, the response has been dramatic both in the casino and switchboard.”

Results

• Danny Garcia retained his two sanctioning body super-lightweight titles but not before a difficult struggle late Saturday. Garcia won a hard fought majority decision against Mauricio Herrera late Saturday in Puerto Rico.

In his first fight since a solid win against Lucas Matthysse last September, Garcia (28-0) connected with power shots but Herrera (20-4) moved in angles and frustrated the defending champion with jabs and follow-up combinations.

Garcia won on two judges’ scorecards, 116-112., while the third judges scored it, 114-114. With the victory, Garcia successfully defended his World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council belts.

• Pembroke Pines resident Ed Paredes knocked out George Sosa in two rounds on the Garcia-Herrera undercard. Paredes’ first signing with Golden Boy Promotions last year. Paredes (35-3-1, 23 KOs) is listed among the top 15 welterweights in all the major sanctioning bodies’ rankings.

Read more here: Hialeah Park bets on boxing to be winner - Boxing - MiamiHerald-com

The sleeping giant of South African boxing — has awoken, Boxing SA’s acting chief, Loyiso Mtya, said on Monday.

He was reacting to the successful world championship at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Saturday.

The International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight championship between new champion Moruti "Baby Face" Mthalane and Jether "General" Oliva of the Philippines was the first of its magnitude in Durban since 1998.

That was when Simon Ramoni won the IBO super bantamweight strap against American Michael Alldis at the Village Green Hall. It was staged by Branco Milenkovic.

The tournament on Saturday night, in front of a big crowd at the imposing 5,000-seater venue, was staged by Thulani Magudulela’s Ludonga Boxing Promotions, which has been keeping the fires burning since 2010. He took a giant leap by organising the IBO championship — his first event of that stature, featuring South Africa’s top fighter, Mthalane, a former undefeated International Boxing Federation IBF champion, trained by Nick Durandt in Gauteng. Mthalane, from Lindelani, Durban, had not fought at home since 2003. He defeated Oliva, a former amateur star, on a split decision.

Credit for making it happen goes to the provincial government.

The organisation of the event was professional; security was tight from the gates leading to the actual building and no alcohol was allowed inside the venue, where the atmosphere was electrifying.

Mtya was a ringside guest.

"KwaZulu-Natal proved that, given time, it can reclaim the good old days of hosting big boxing events," he said. "It has the venue, promoter, boxers and the infrastructure. The sleeping giant has awoken."

He said fighters from that province — South African middleweight champion Christopher Buthelezi, Andile Mntungwa, Sizwe Mthembu and even female fighter Nomvelo Magcaba — came fully prepared to protect their territory.

Buthelezi overwhelmed Giovanni Bushby with pressure and experience over 12 exciting rounds while Durandt’s other boxer, Jarred Silverman and Mxolisi Nombewu, trained in Tsakane by Themba Zulu, spoiled the party by beating Mntungwa and Mthembu, respectively.

Silverman beat Mntungwa to the extent that his face looked like he had been stung by bees. Nombewu overpowered Mthembu on points over six rounds. Magcaba stopped Gauteng’s Nathalien Bania in two.

Mtya described the energy-sapping 12 rounder between Mthalane and Oliva as "one hell of a fight".

"Mthalane fought a pure world-class boxer. Oliva lost twice and those defeats were in world championship fights (against Ulises Solis for the IBF junior flyweight title in 2011 and also against Mthalane)," said Mtya.

He visited KwaNobuhle and KwaLanga, the two townships that flank the industrial city near Port Elizabeth.

KwaLanga has political significance, being the scene of an apartheid massacre where police shot dead more than 20 funeral-goers on March 21, 1985, on the anniversary of Sharpeville. But it also harbours something for sports lovers.

It has been the home of runner Lusapho April, the 2012 Olympian who finished third at last year's New York Marathon.

Given that Mbalula's middle name is April, one might think he's a particularly partisan supporter of the athlete, who is gearing up for the Boston Marathon next month.

The township was also the childhood stomping ground of boxer Mzukisi Sikali, who held marginal world titles in three divisions, from junior-flyweight to junior-bantamweight.

Sikali eventually ended up in KwaNobuhle, the home of another famous fighter, Vuyani Nene, who was so good he beat Baby Jake Matlala four times out of four.

But Matlala went on to succeed on the world stage. Nene didn't.

Sikali, who as a novice lost to Matlala before enjoying international success, spent much of his boxing career based closer to Port Elizabeth, at one stage living in a two-roomed house in New Brighton, within walking distance of the Centenary Hall where he fought many times.

He had further to travel to get to the KwaMzima club, run by trainer Tembile Shushwana.

East London, notably Mdantsane and Duncan Village, is the boxing Mecca of the Eastern Cape, but the sport also once flourished in Port Elizabeth. Now it's a like a ghost town.

The last time I visited Shushwana, his old gym in Kwazakhele stood empty; punching bags hung quietly, waiting for a new generation of fighters who never arrived.

Vandals got there first, stabbing the bags repeatedly until the stuffing was spread across the concrete floor.

Two months ago, the minister brought US boxing star Floyd Mayweather to the country as part of his "Reawakening the Giant" initiative, aimed at restoring South African boxing back to its former greatness. The programme has so much potential.

It is about getting amateur boxing, once South Africa's greatest source of Olympic silverware, back to its former glory.

It is about reigniting boxing in areas where it once thrived, such as in Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage, getting the sport back into schools, forging new Sikalis.

Sikali was one of the standout fighters of the democratic South Africa.

If you don't believe me ask some of his former stablemates, like Jan Bergman and Dingaan Thobela.

Though his three world titles were peripheral, Sikali convincingly beat two men who either went on to hold, or had held, bona fide world crowns.

One was Argentina's Juan Domingo Cordoba, the other was Hawk Makepula, who he smashed inside of four rounds.

So far, the only beneficiary of "Reawakening the Giant" has been the Dube boxing club in Soweto, where the late Matlala used to train.

Mbalula has yet to unveil any follow-up campaigns to his initiative; he has yet to prove that "Reawakening the Giant" wasn't an excuse for an oversized party organised around Mayweather's visit.

At the weekend Mbalula reportedly drew a meagre 100 youths to a rally in KwaNobuhle.

In 2005 mourners packed out a hall to pay their respects to Sikali, who had been stabbed to death for his cellphone.

If Mbalula tried reawakening the giant in that region, he might get a decent reception.



Mbalula's boxing campaign fails to land hard punches - Sport LIVE

History will be made on Thursday March 27, 2014 when world boxing’s latest professional sanctioning body is unveiled in Accra.

Dade Promotions whose CEO, Gideon Quartey has over the years championed amateur boxing via the Africa Golden Glove Warriors Friday night fights in Accra are behind the launch of the new sanctioning body which will offer titles to be competed for all over Africa.

Like the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and the several other sanctioning bodies, Africa Warrior titles will be globally recognized and as well offered at stake in promotions earmarked to revive competitive interest in boxing all over the continent.

“It’s a dream come true. We want a platform where Africa’s best boxers could compete against one another so that we can line up the very best for world title fights,” Mr. Quartey told All Sports Ghana.

“We believe we can help put African boxers in a stronger position to be ready for world championships,” the Dade Promotions President explained.

In the event, the first batch of Africa Warrior titles will be at stake next week Friday, March 28 when Dade Promotions stage the mega fight night at the Arts Centre in Accra code-named ‘Future Ghana Champs.’

A press conference to formally introduce Africa Warriors as the new professional boxing sanctioning body will be held right after the weigh-ins for the ‘Future Ghana Champs’ at the Arts Center Accra on the Thursday 27Th March 2014 at 10:00AM.



Africa Warriors boxing sanction body launch March 27 | Boxing News 2014-03-19