0 comments by Matthew Swain on 6/28/2017
This Saturday, from a 55,000 person stadium in Brisbane, Australia, Manny Pacquiao will face basically unknown Jeff Horn in a welterweight bout. It’s not the fight that most of us expected for the Filipino. Nothing about the fight is normal. Not the opponent, not the location, and not the fact that instead of being on […]
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 17: Andre Ward (L) reacts as reacts as referee Tony Weeks stops his light heavyweight championship bout against Sergey Kovalev at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ward retained his WBA/IBF/WBO titles with a TKO in the eighth round. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/18/2017
It just wouldn’t be an Andre Ward fight without him pissing off droves of fans and assorted boxing figures. Sometimes he deserves it. Sometimes he doesn’t. Saturday brought us a little of both as he beat Sergey Kovalev by stoppage. This is how it went in the light heavyweight match-up of arguably the two best […]
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 16: WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (L) and former champion Sergey Kovalev pose during their official weigh-in at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 16, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ward will defend his titles against Kovalev on June 17 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 6/16/2017
There is a certain amount of chaos that each of us is willing or able to deal with. Some people thrive on it, particularly creating it. Others need everything clamped down to the point that there are no surprises. Each of us is looking for a comfortable place to thrive as we navigate the space […]
0 comments by Tim Starks
“Counterpunch,” debuting today on NetFlix, is a well-shot, well-produced, well-framed boxing documentary telling oft-interesting stories that nonetheless arrives at very little in the way of surprises (and perhaps offers the occasional letdown) for the hardcore fan of professional pugilism. Your mileage may vary if you are a casual. The premise is this: Why would anyone […]
A teaser poster circulated on social media by McGregor when the fight was still theoretical.
0 comments by Steve Zemach on 6/15/2017
The Irish culture dictates that if you are not interested in school you must find a trade and begin the working life. The trade Conor McGregor pursued was already built into his DNA. The Irish have a strong affection for the fight game, but none have been able to rise to the level of Conor […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/14/2017
Well, that just happened. Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, a showdown between the best boxer of his generation and the biggest star in mixed martial arts, is a go for Aug. 26 at junior middleweight. There will be more to say on this soon. But for now: Do not, repeat do NOT, expect anything remotely […]
0 comments by Nick Wong on 6/2/2017
Back in 2009, I spent four months in Peru as the principal sparring partner of Jonathan Maicelo. In sum, I more or less acted as a human punching bag during my stay, and this was when he was a only marginal star in the world of boxing. Since then, he moved to the United States and built […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 5/27/2017
This was the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Prodigious young Errol Spence took on an elite opponent Saturday, Kell Brook, and beat him, establishing himself as an elite fighter himself, the kid who could one day rule the sport. It was not an easy outing on Showtime for the once up-and-coming, now fully realized, […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 5/20/2017
Each fight tells you something about the fighters. Saturday night, at Madison Square Garden on HBO, Terence “Bud” Crawford confirmed what we knew about him. Crawford’s talent is sublime. It’s unquestioned. It remains untested. Felix Diaz (19-2, 9 KO) is a good fighter. He won a gold medal at the Olympics. He can punch with […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 5/18/2017
On April 4, Andre Ward posted this to Instagram, with the caption, “I’m going to keep it short and sweet, you got what you asked for, now you have to see me JUNE 17TH. This time leave the excuses at home.” We, the adoring public have been blessed to buy a pay-per-view rematch of a good […]
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 06: Canelo Alvarez (R) punches Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. during their catchweight bout at T-Mobile Arena on May 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
0 comments by Tim Starks on 5/6/2017
It’s not often that a post-fight announcement overshadows the fight that just happened, but that’s how it went down Saturday night on HBO Pay-Per-View when Canelo Alvarez beat Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. then lined up Gennady Golovkin for September. That speaks to how bad Saturday’s main event was, in part. Although it also shows how much people […]
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Anthony Joshua reacts after knocking down Wladimir Klitschko during the IBF, WBA and IBO Heavyweight World Title bout at Wembley Stadium on April 29, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
0 comments by Tim Starks on 4/29/2017
The transition of power was far from peaceful. Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko traded knockdowns and momentum Saturday as the new beat the old in the best heavyweight match of consequence in ages. Joshua, the future, is now. But Klitschko, the past, made him prove he deserved it. And they delivered thrills you just don’t […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 4/26/2017
Something I have always avoided doing that many people seem to enjoy, or at least pretend to enjoy on Facebook, is looking back and taking stock. I don’t want to think about where I’ve been, what I’ve accomplished, and where I’ve failed. I tell myself that it’s because I am too focused on the present […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 4/22/2017
Let’s face it: Andre Berto didn’t need much extracurricular business to lose Saturday night on Showtime, which is what he did. Fella has been past his prime for a long time — his last win over a top 10 welterweight was back in 2011, and he’s propped up his career with the occasional unexpected victory […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 4/9/2017
The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland is supposed to be a place of chance, across the river from a town in which all the endings are predictable. The House always wins. Last night was no different, but a thrill emerged. Vasyl Lomachenko (8-0-1. 6 KO) beat up Jason Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KO, just […]
