0 comments by Jason Langendorf on 8/17/2020
Even in the age of social distancing, you can scarcely swing a dead cat without hitting a boxer who doesn’t have a little resentment coming to him. Fighters are hard men with pocked histories. Boxing is known for its boozers, gamblers, junkies, abusers and general dirtbaggery. Self-promotion too often falls somewhere on the spectrum between […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 6/10/2020
Mismatches, propagandistic commentary and weirdly long time lags between bouts: Boxing is back, baby! The return of live boxing to the United States would normally be a cause for celebration, and we should be pleased, but as with most things in life, our expectations should be tempered by reality. Wednesday night at the Bubble, MGM […]
0 comments by Jason Langendorf on 9/25/2019
Sometimes, the forming of a more perfect union requires the separation of a rib or three. At least that’s what our politicians would have us believe. Bureaucrats, wonks, and snake-oil salesmen love nothing more than co-opting the language of boxing (“I’ll fight for you!”), but believe it or not, some pols have actually gone so […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 11/26/2016
No matter how gifted you are, ultimately you will be judged by your opposition. In fact, the more talent you have, the more people will want you to be tested. There’s a reason that average kids who get B’s are lauded and intelligent kids who do the same are disappointments. People might give you the […]
0 comments by Matthew Swain on 10/25/2016
I’m relatively certain that I’ve never written anything complimentary about Vanes Martirosyan. In fact, I’ve probably never given any in or out of the ring action of his more than a perfunctory eye roll. But it’s been a slow couple of weeks and fuck it, here we are. Yesterday, Martirosyan went on a miniature Twitter […]
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 07: WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko prepares for his fight against Romulo Koasicha at the Thomas & Mack Center on November 7, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
0 comments by Calum Ennis on 7/15/2016
Olympic gold has traditionally been seen as a route to professional stardom. But for every Michael Spinks there’s been a Odlanier Solis, for every Cassius Clay a Rakhim Chakhiev. With an eye on the stars to come out of the upcoming Rio games, this list looks to rank those men who picked up gold in […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 4/19/2015
(LAS VEGAS — Deontay Wilder poses by his corner after going 12 rounds with Bermane Stiverne during their fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan. 17 [Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images]) With Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao right around the corner, there’s already been speculation about who, if anyone, is “next” in boxing, […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 3/28/2015
(Gary Russell, Jr.; credit: Esther Lin, Showtime) Twice in the past year, Gary Russell, Jr. has challenged elite competition after facing nothing like it for his whole career. The first result, against Vasyl Lomachenko, was a gritty showing against an Olympic great, but the loss was also a reckoning for a pro run that prepared […]
0 comments by Alex McClintock on 3/24/2015
After a fairly chill week, boxing is back with fights on ESPN2 and Showtime (mainly). Apart from the names in the headline, Gary Russell, Jr., the Charlo twins and Juan Francisco Estrada will also be on the box. Let’s jump right in: Breidis Prescott vs. Fredrick Lawson, Thursday, ESPN2, Hialeah Fla. Friday Night Fights is on […]
0 comments by Patrick Connor
Nearly two years after Jhonny Gonzalez shocked Abner Mares with a huge left hook, it’s clear their careers have certainly gone in different directions. For instance, 28 million people in Mexico watched Gonzalez toy with a faded Jorge Arce, while Mares has struggled to impress against nondescript opposition on undercards. The question is whether or […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 2/17/2015
(Al Haymon, via) NBC. NBC Sports. Showtime. Spike. ESPN, probably. And as of today, CBS, too. Al Haymon’s “Premier Boxing Champions” has spread its tendrils into every major U.S. network — save one — that has broadcast boxing in the last several years, plus some new channels, too. We’re talking an almost full-scale revolution in […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/29/2014
If you’re looking for a classy place to sign a contract with Al Haymon, one resplendent with gravitas, why not McDonalds? Lightweight Miguel Vazquez making the Haymon move means we can almost surely forget about starting a new championship lineage by fighting Terence Crawford, since Crawford is represented by Top Rank, which despises Haymon. It’s […]
0 comments by Patrick Connor on 6/23/2014
Robert Guerrero’s eye in the above picture (via) reminds us boxing fans that, for the second week in a row, we’ve seen a fighter win a main event bout and finish with his eye looking like something that resembles a sexual organ. And yes, that kind of humor is just what you’ll find here in […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/22/2014
Saturday’s Showtime main event between Robert Guerrero and Yoshihiro Kamegai was overshadowed in the pre-fight hype by Vasyl Lomachenko-Gary Russell, Jr. As an action bout, it was much, much better, one of the best of 2014, and Guerrero came out with the bloody unanimous decision. It was a Fight of the Year candidate, a kind […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/21/2014
As of Saturday afternoon, Vasyl Lomachenko was 1-1 since leaving the amateur ranks. Gary Russell, Jr. was 24-0. But all of Russell’s pro fights against hopeless opponents weren’t enough to prepare him for how good Lomachenko was on Showtime Saturday night, as Lomachenko — who was fearless in taking on Orlando Salido then Russell — […]
