(Azumah Nelson, left, whacks Wilfredo Gomez with a left hook; via) By the age of 26, Wilfredo Gomez had seen more successful title defenses of one belt than most fighters would see in multiple careers. A record 17 defenses of the WBC junior featherweight belt, all by stoppage, and a shiny WBC featherweight prize are […]

(Deontay Wilder fells Nicolai Firtha; credit: Tom Casino, Showtime) Undefeated heavyweight Deontay Wilder (30-0, 30 KOs) is America’s best hope for heavyweight superstardom. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist is on the verge of contention in what’s becoming an increasingly interesting heavyweight division. With Wladimir (37) and Vitali (41) Klitschko aging out sooner rather than later, […]

(Above: What Karo Murat should’ve done to Bernard Hopkins, or Steve Smoger; via) At the age of Abe Vigoda-years-old, Bernard Hopkins continues to crotch-kick the Grim Reaper — in the ring, anyway. Some loved his showing against Karo Murat, some hated it, and some were perplexed by the subpar handling of the action by the […]

(Bernard Hopkins punches Karo Murat; photo credit: Tom Casino, Showtime) Bernard Hopkins beat Karo Murat Saturday night on Showtime in a bout notable for more action than you usually see in a Hopkins fight, but even more notable for exceeding the regular high figure of extracurriculars you usually see in a Hopkins fight. There was […]

Bernard Hopkins-Karo Murat Saturday on Showtime is a blemish on what big-time network boxing has been up to of late in the matchmaking department, so why are we being given a 48-year-old legend in Atlantic City against a German who's never fought here? Number one: It's Hopkins. He's proven he can do TV ratings in […]

"Juan Manuel Marquez delayed performance enhancing drug testing so he could be dirty while Timothy Bradley was clean!" (Only they started testing via separate drug-testing organizations at almost exactly the same time.) "The Nevada State Athletic Commission hasn't begun testing everyone yet!" (When it actually had.) "Brandon Rios is being tested while Manny Pacquiao is not!" (Except most evidence […]

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — It is envisioned in 2004, in the nosebleeds of Madison Square Garden. 11-year-old Dusty Hernandez-Harrison and his dad, by the retelling of both men, are at the Mecca of boxing to watch Felix Trinidad; Dusty being Puerto Rican meant "Tito" was automatically his favorite boxer. Father Buddy tells his young son, […]

If you’re one of the people who think that Mike Alvarado was “soft” for “quitting” on the weekend, then boxing probably isn’t the sport for you. Maybe you need something tougher, like Nigerian boxing or “Dembe,” a sport in which itinerant fighters beat each other with hands wrapped in rope. Also, you’re a sicko. If not, welcome […]

(Ruslan Provodnikov, left, in pursuit of Mike Alvarado; photo credit: Chris Farina/Top Rank) Usually the Queensberry Rules Radio preview post opens up with some nonsensical picture or reference, if not some borderline infuriating non sequitur. But this week, Ruslan Provodnikov and Mike Alvarado should simply get more and more attention, when possible. It was an […]

(photo credit: Chris Farina, Top Rank) It was like a Rocky movie gone terribly wrong. The hometown hero had been in control. His Russian opponent had looked frustrated and even a little primitive. But junior welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO) has the kind of power and determination that reconfigures Hollywood endings. "I knew what […]

(Juan Santiago, left, Juan Diaz, right; credit: Chris Farina, Top Rank) Juan Diaz once fought like a swarm of angry bees. Unable to hurt anyone with a single punch, he came forward relentlessly and stung as many times as possible. Few can forget the look of utter despair on Acelino Freitas’ face when he quit […]

(Jeremy Parodi, left, Carl Frampton, right; via) In a sport that may have courted the prefix “professional” in a bid to ward off repeated suspicions to the contrary, there can be few boxers as meticulous as Carl Frampton. That the Belfast junior featherweight manages to be as diligent as he is, while simultaneously electrifying an […]