0 comments by Tim Starks on 10/18/2015
Floyd Mayweather is gone, again, and who knows how long he’ll be retired for this time. His departure leaves a vacancy atop the pound-for-pound throne. So who’s the new “The Man?” That was determined by the usual main standard, which is quality wins of recent vintage (with overall resume and the “eyeball test” secondary factors; […]
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 20: Andre Ward celebrates after beating Paul Smith in the eighth round during their Cruiserweight fight at ORACLE Arena on June 20, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images)
0 comments by Tim Starks on 8/9/2015
(Andre Ward after beating Paul Smith on June 20; Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images) Activity. Inactivity. They can have an effect on who deserves to be ranked among the best fighters in the world, regardless of weight. This month’s update brings the return of a fighter long off the scene, and the departure of two fighters who haven’t fought […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/25/2015
It’s not entirely clear why the two Andres look so much like they’re giving a reaction shot in a low-budget comedy, but there it is. Maybe they’re surprised that Quick Jabs is back after such a long layoff. Actually that’s not possible, since Mr. Berto (right) put that picture up on
0 comments by Tim Starks on 6/13/2015
Nicholas Walters and Felix Verdejo fought mystery opponents Saturday night on HBO, in that both were undefeated yet unproven. Both put up resistance, winning a round or two each, ultimately succumbing on the scorecards to more experienced and classier opposition. Verdejo was up first, and boy howdy did he get a dandy of a hummer […]
0 comments by Alex McClintock on 6/8/2015
In my time doing this weekly schedule (more than two years), I can’t recall a stretch where high level boxing has been on TV as consistently as it has in the last month. I use the term “high level” fairly loosely — if you look at this week’s fights, there are a lot of big […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 5/4/2015
(Terence Crawford; Tom Pennington, Getty Sports) This is our first pound-for-pound update of 2015, and as such there are some major modifications. It made sense to wait this long after January and February produced negligible potential changes. It also made sense to wait until Mayweather vs Pacquiao, which would determine the p4p crown. As always, the […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 5/2/2015
Vasyl Lomachenko kicked off the Mayweather vs Pacquiao undercard Saturday with a dominant win over Gamalier Rodriguez, taking a few rounds to get going before battering the bejesus out of Rodriguez and effectively forcing him to quit. It was meant to be a showcase on a big pay-per-view, representing the fighter HBO chose to spotlight. […]
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 1/11/2015
On the surface, boxing in 2014 sucked. Everyone knows this, and most everyone knows why. Scratch a little deeper, and it still sucked — worse than any year since the mid/late-2000s — just maybe not as atrociously as commonly understood on the surface. There’s little need to rehash, at length, the rather obvious diagnosis about what ailed […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 12/30/2014
Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end awards, continuing into this week. Here’s how we do it around these parts: The major categories are Knockout of the Year, Round of the Year, Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year. The final leg, which will finish next week, is a pu pu platter of […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 12/26/2014
Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end awards, starting today and continuing into next week. Here’s how we do it around these parts: The major categories are Knockout of the Year, Round of the Year, Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year. The final leg, which will finish next week, is a pu-pu […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 12/17/2014
(Nov. 8, Atlantic City; Sergey Kovalev celebrates his win over Bernard Hopkins after their bout at Boardwalk Hall. Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports) Just about all the 2014 business is finished for the best boxers in the world across every weight division, with only Adonis Stevenson and Guillermo Rigondeaux on this list yet to have […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 11/30/2014
(Jayson Velez, left, Evgeny Gradovich, right; via @HBOBoxing on Twitter) Jayson Velez proved he belonged on the world stage against Evgeny Gradovich, who proved what he always proved, which is that fighting him is one of the most painful outings in boxing. But Gradovich probably deserved a decision win Saturday night on HBO rather than a split […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 11/22/2014
(Lomachenko connects on Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo; via @HBOBoxing on Twitter) Vasyl Lomachenko does astounding things in the ring. Saturday night he was on his way to a beautifully boxed win, perhaps even a knockout, that showed off his versatility and all-around excellence. Then he injured his left hand. He didn’t lose a round after that. Appearing on […]
0 comments by Tim Starks on 11/2/2014
Here’s boxing in 2014, in a nutshell: Showtime, which had cast its lot with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer prior to the company’s split with him, has aired trash almost exclusively this year, yet is putting on a quality welterweight bout Dec. 13 between Devon Alexander and Amir Khan. The undercard bout between junior middleweights Demetrius […]
