Undefeated fighters Floyd Mayweather and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, set for a Sept 14 showdown at Las Vegas, are hyping the world title bout with a tour that launched in New York and Washington.
Mexico's Alvarez, whose nickname is spanish for "Cinnamon", will defend his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super welterweight titles against Mayweather in a pay-per-view show on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Mayweather, 44-0 with 26 knockouts, has relied upon Mexican fight fans, many cheering for his rivals, to help make him the world's highest-paid athlete, with Sports Illustrated estimating he will make US$90 million (S$114.3 million) this year.
Mayweather, who was jailed last June on domestic violence charges, will make the bout the second in a six-fight deal with telecaster Showtime that could bring him record profits by the conclusion of the deal.
Alvarez, 42-0 with one drawn and 30 knockouts, suffered the only blemish on his record in 2006 with a draw in his fifth professional bout and hopes to end Mayweather's magical run.
"In boxing everybody has their time and this is my time," Alvarez said. "Everybody knows that Floyd is the best without question, but it's my time. We're going to win.
"I'm younger and bigger, which are very important keys. Floyd is a very intelligent fighter, but I'm going to have the right game plan. This is my biggest fight but I've visualised it and prepared my mind for it for a while."
Alvarez turns 23 next month while Mayweather, 36, fought his first pro fight when the Mexican was only six years old.
"It has truly been an amazing ride," Mayweather said. "I'm blessed to be in the sport of boxing and be at the top for 17 years. I just want to give the fans a hell of a fight.
"Canelo is a young strong champion. He has obviously done something right to be at this level. He's a guy that I can't overlook. I've got to go out there and fight the best fight." Mayweather also warned that Alvarez has not faced anyone as hard to stop.
"When guys face me, it's a totally different level," Mayweather said. "I know what it takes in a fight of this magnitude and I'm going to continue to dedicate myself to my craft and be the best that I can be.
"The Earth is my turf. You can put me in any ring and I'll always come out victorious."
Boxing: Mayweather, Alvarez begin hype for showdown
He wears more diamonds than a mall jewelry store. He doesn’t walk so much as he struts.
And his security detail would be the envy of every NFL offensive line coach.
But in spite of those similar appearances, Richard Schaefer insists some things have changed.
“It’s like he realizes he needs to be a different Floyd,” said the Golden Boy Promotions executive, whose company is teaming with Mayweather’s on a cross-country tour to promote his Sept. 14 fight with unbeaten Mexican heartthrob Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
“He realizes he’s the face of the sport. He realizes he’s the best-paid athlete in the world. And it seems like he’s ready to take on those responsibilities. He’s still got the self-promotional aspect about him and he still wants to be involved in every portion of things, but I think it’s good that boxing’s No. 1 star is growing into a role model.”
A pro for 17 years since winning a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics, Mayweather has at times played dual roles as one of the sport’s premier fighters and, to some, as one if its most recognizable villains. He served time in a Nevada jail last summer after a domestic incident with the mother of his children, and, while he doesn’t specify that as a catalyst, he freely admits that he’s not the same man he once was. Nor does he want to be.
“Sure I’m different than I used to be. Everyone should be,” he said. “Every five years you should become a different person. You change. You evolve. You have different experiences. If you don’t do all that, you’re just wasting time. You’re just running in place.”
Mayweather, at 36 years old, and his imminent foe, who’ll be 23 on fight night, have played exceedingly nice together through the first few legs of their fight-hyping trip, which opened in New York and has since played Washington D.C., Grand Rapids, Mich., Chicago and Atlanta.
It continues in Miami on Friday, heads to Mexico City on Sunday and will wrap up with dual-site events in Houston and San Antonio on Monday and in Phoenix and Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Those with a vested interest don’t expect the tenor to change.
“This fight doesn’t need any promotion,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who teamed with Mayweather to garner a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys for their 2007 fight, which Mayweather won by split decision. “I’m glad there’s no trash talk, because when there’s trash talk, a lot of times it’s not a good fight. These guys have been very respectful and I hope they save it all for Sept. 14. If they get to 2.5 million, then I’ll come back to fight the winner and do 2.6.” Alvarez, whose biggest wins have come against veteran Shane Mosley and previously unbeaten Austin Trout, has done a scripted nose-to-nose faceoff with Mayweather at each of the tour stops, but neither man has escalated matters with exaggerated gestures or chatter.
In fact, the closest either has come to publicly upstaging the other was Thursday in Atlanta, when Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe initiated a “U-S-A” chant to answer the “Mex-i-co” chant that came from Alvarez fans during Ellerbe’s microphone remarks.
But the comments from the fighters haven’t veered near disrespect.
“A lot of his other opponents did a lot of barking, but Canelo doesn’t handle himself like that,” said Ramiro Gonzalez, a Golden Boy publicist who’s working on tour as one of Alvarez’s interpreters. “He’s very quiet and he sees Mayweather has been the same way, so there’s respect there. He’s not going to go in and stage something just to please the fans, and Floyd has approached things the same way.
“It’s refreshing to have two guys handling things like that.”
How a More Mature Floyd Mayweather Has Embraced Being Boxing's Biggest Star | Bleacher Report
Las Vegas, June 28, 2013 – The new Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas has announced its inaugural class of 25 inductees. The Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas is located at the Luxor Hotel within SCORE! – a multi-sports attraction featuring the Halls of Fame of Football, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Baseball, NASCAR and Boxing. SCORE! is located next to the Titanic Exhibit on the mezzanine level of the pyramid-shaped hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
The exhibit features the exclusive ESPN Classic/Cayton Sports Fight Film Library. The collection includes the fights of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano and many other legendary fighters from the first heavyweight championship fight ever filmed in 1897 through the fights of Mike Tyson and beyond. The video library also contains countless interviews as well as exclusive training footage.
The current displays include Muhammad Ali, Latin Legends, Mike Tyson, Kings of the Ring and Boxing in Movies. Hollywood screen-worn clothing on display includes Barbra Streisand’s outfit from her 1980 movie “Main Event.”
The inaugural class of 25 inductees are as follows in alphabetical order: Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong, Tony Canzoneri, Ezzard Charles, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jack Dempsey, Roberto Duran, Joe Gans, Harry Greb, Eder Jofre, Jack Johnson, Stanley Ketchel, Sam Langford, Benny Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Archie Moore, Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson, Barney Ross, Sandy Saddler, John L. Sullivan, Gene Tunney and Mickey Walker. While only boxers are inducted, other participants in the sweet science will receive awards and be acknowledged for their excellence at the Black Tie Induction Event on a date to be announced shortly.
The Board of Directors consists of Steve Lott, Tony Triem and Shelley Williams.
The Advisory Board is comprised of the following prominent boxing historians and journalists: Tracy Callis, Jim Carlin, Don Cogswell, Dan Cuoco, Bernard Fernandez, Jeff Flanagan, Phil Guarnieri, Henry Hascup, Jack Hirsch, JJ Johnston, Bruce Kielty, Gordon Marino, Carole Myer, Sal Rappa, Neil Terens and Jim Trunzo.
Honorary Board Members include Joe Louis Barrow Jr., the son of Joe Louis and the CEO of the First Tee, celebrities Ed O’Neill, Ryan O’Neal and Jerry Lewis, renowned attorney Cory A. Santos, Mel Dick of Southern Wine & Spirits and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Yank Barry of Global Village Champions Foundation. The Hall has formed an alliance with Yank Barry and his non-profit foundation whose spokespersons include Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. GVC strives to become the undisputed world leader in private humanitarian delivery of nutrition to needy persons everywhere, sustaining human life in the wake of tragedy and helping to eradicate world hunger. They have provided an astounding 930 million meals to date. (See Yank Barry and Global Village Champions Foundation)
“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to place the Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip with its 40 million visitors each year” said President Steve Lott. “It’s an honor being located next to the legends of other great sports. Thousands of visitors each year will be afforded an opportunity to see boxing greats stand “toe-to-toe” with other sports legends.”
The WBA middleweight champion from Kazakhstan has shown the potential for crossover appeal. He defends title Saturday night in Connecticut on HBO.
Think of a boxer from the former Eastern Bloc and the stereotypical images that come to mind are probably of an icy, distant athlete — and those are some reasons why American audiences have been slow to embrace them.
The stoic and dominating Klitschko brothers from Ukraine control boxing's heavyweight division, but their popularity is so slight in the U.S. that they now fight mostly in Europe.
For the third time in two years Matthew Macklin lost out in a tilt for a world title as he was brutally knocked out in the third round by defending IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Connecticut.
The Irishman went down under a thunderous left hook to the body from the unbeaten Kazakh southpaw 1:22 into the round.
Referee Eddie Cotton administered a count, but it was a pointless exercise as Macklin was still on the floor long after it had expired.
Golovkin had dominated the first two rounds. Walking through most of his opponent's jabs, he opened a cut over Macklin's right eye with a sweeping right in the second.
Macklin opted to meet fire with fire from that point on but going toe-to-toe with the defending champion played right into the hands, quite literally, of the 2004 Olympic silver medalist.
"The shot he took me out with is one of my favourites. I've done many people with that one over the years, so I guess I was due one," said Macklin.
"He's the best I ever fought. He never really allowed me to get started. He has clubbing power and you can really feel the weight of every punch he throws."
Boxing: Macklin's title bid falls short - Independent.ie
Manoj Kumar (64kg) recorded a resounding victory against Ibrahim Saleh of Jordan in the first round of the Asian Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan.
Manoj, gold medallist at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, surprised the short but strong local lad with his aggressive intent and pace. Making full use of his height, the Indian dominated the proceedings throughout the bout, never allowing Saleh to settle down.
By the final round, Manoj, a silver medallist at the recently concluded Limassol Boxing Cup in Cyprus, had the clear advantage with fatigue setting in the Jordan boxer.
The 26-year-old advanced into the round of 16 with victory by virtue of a unanimous decision. He now takes on Lac Mohamed Dilshan of Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Thursday will see two more Indian boxers take to the ring. Jagroop Singh (81 kg) makes his debut at the Asian Championships against Uzbekistan's Boburbek Yuldashev, who competed in the event's last edition in Incheon.
He also secured his career highlight with a silver medal at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku this March. Reigning national champion in the lightweight division, Vikas Malik (60kg) will lock horns with Nooristani Khaibar of Afghanistan.
The new approved AIBA Scoring System the 'Ten-Point Must System' will be used during the Championships.
Manoj Kumar wins opening bout at Asian Boxing - Sport - DNA
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has never been shy to claim he’s the best along cauliflower row and now that Manny Pacquiao is safely out of the way, the loudmouth insists he’s the face of boxing with nobody close to challenging his contention.
Mayweather, 36, will be tested by equally unbeaten Saul (Canelo) Alvarez of Mexico in a 12-rounder at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. Alvarez will stake his WBC lightmiddleweight crown against Mayweather at a catchweight limit of 152. The lightmiddleweight division has a usual limit of 154. Mayweather is the reigning WBC welterweight titlist but will be the challenger in the bout.
Although Alvarez at 22 is 14 years younger, he has fought only one less fight than Mayweather whose record is 44-0, with 26 KOs. The Mexican’s record is 42-0-1, with 30 KOs. The remarkable thing in comparing their records is Mayweather turned pro in 1996 while Alvarez made his debut in 2005 or almost 10 years after.
Alvarez has been a lot busier than Mayweather lately. Since 2007, Mayweather has figured in only six fights compared to 33 for Alvarez. Mayweather fought once in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. He didn’t even step into the ring in 2008. Last May, Mayweather outpointed Robert Guerrero in the first of a six-fight deal with Showtime at over $200 Million until 2015. A cause for concern is Mayweather’s dwindling power. He has stopped only two of his last nine opponents since 2007 and his last two victims Guerrero and Miguel Cotto survived the distance. But in fairness to Mayweather, he looked sharp and slick in outclassing Guerrero in his most recent outing.
Alvarez isn’t just Mexico’s hope but the world’s. Mayweather is the villain in boxing and fans would like nothing better than to witness his humbling. Alvarez, however, may not be up to the task. Mayweather’s defense is almost impregnable and Alvarez will find it extremely difficult to tag the elusive target.
Alvarez has raced on the fast track to make it big in the ring. He was in seven fights in 2007, eight in 2008, seven in 2009, five in 2010, three in 2011 and two in 2012. Last April, Alvarez outpointed Austin Trout in the sixth defense of his WBC welterweight throne. If there is someone who can put Mayweather in his place, experts think it’s Manny Pacquiao. But it remains to be seen how much fight is left in Pacquiao. After back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao has to prove himself all over again by convincingly thrashing Brandon Rios in Macau in November.
What makes Mayweather such a despicable anti-hero is his lack of humility. “I don’t feel I’m the face of the sport,” he said during a press conference in this US capital city. “I know I’m the face of the sport.” When Mayweather showed up for the media meeting, he wore a $1.5 Million diamond-studded necklace and said, “I don’t wear dog-tags, I wear price tags.” He also wore diamond-encrusted sunglasses.
Mike Wise, writing in the Washington Post, said Mayweather’s attraction is a reason why boxing is popular among the masses. “Why the sport will never die, irrespective of how popular mixed martial arts, BMX or any extreme sports become?” said Wise. “Because it rips away pretension, actually celebrates the politically incorrect idea of openly rooting for your own ethnicity, finding racial identification in someone who looks like you, beating up someone who doesn’t look like you. It’s kind of what Tiger Woods did for golf in some ways. The difference is people have been paying good money for upwards of 16 years because they want Tiger to win. A huge portion of fight fans have been paying Mayweather for two decades because they so badly want to see him knocked out.”
Wise, calling Mayweather the “Bling King,” said he has no idea if Alvarez can pull an upset and become the first man to beat the flamboyant stylist. He said Mayweather could be the greatest defensive fighter ever who has not lost in 17 years and 44 bouts. “But Alvarez has got a left uppercut like Marvin Hagler and he relentlessly works the body like Julio Cesar Chavez.” To stain Mayweather’s record, Alvarez must be extremely active with both hands, work the jab and stop the Money Man in his tracks. Of course, that’s easier said than done because Mayweather is like a cat in the ring and if Alvarez plays the dog’s role, he’ll be in for quite a chase.
Pacquiao, 34, battles Rios on Nov. 23 with no championship at stake even if it’s a 12-rounder. No doubt, it’s make or break for Pacquiao because a third straight loss will finally bring down the curtains to a long career whose highlight was capturing world titles in eight different divisions, a feat that will likely not be duplicated for decades. But if Mayweather crushes Alvarez and Pacquiao repulses Rios, they may just end up in an engagement that is long overdue.
Marquez and Bradley will face off in their own duel on Oct. 12 in Las Vegas with the winner expected to make the championship landscape even murkier. Marquez should deal Bradley his first career setback and line himself up for either Pacquiao or Mayweather. Neither fighter is a stranger to Marquez who has battled Pacquiao four times and Mayweather once. In those five fights, Marquez won only once – the sixth round knockout over Pacquiao last December.
Fans wouldn’t mind a fifth Pacquiao-Marquez encounter to give the Filipino a chance for payback. But if Mayweather comes to the table, Pacquiao is expected to drop everything and take him on for what should be the biggest paycheck of his career. The presumption is Mayweather disposes of Alvarez and Pacquiao does the same with Rios.
Rap superstar and fledgling boxing promoter Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson was charged by Los Angeles police Wednesday with one count of domestic violence and four counts of vandalism, but his boxing card scheduled to be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Desportes will go on.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jackson allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, and vandalized her home. The Times report assessed the value of her damaged property at $7,100. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer told the Times that Jackson faces up to five years in jail and $46,000 in fines if convicted on all counts.
Regardless of perceived celebrity or notoriety, domestic violence is a serious crime and alleged perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this office. We will continue to look out for the safety of all victims of domestic violence and seek justice for the alleged crimes.
The Times reported the incident occurred June 23 in Toluca Lake, Calif.
Jackson's company, SMS Promotions, is promoting a boxing card, along with his own birthday party, on Friday at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The main event pits Eleider "Storm" Alvarez against Allan "Ghost Dog" Green.
Billy Dib overcame the possibility of a disastrous disqualification to keep his boxing world title rematch alive, with a majority points win over American Mike Oliver on Saturday.
Former IBF featherweight champion Dib was deducted a point in both the second and third rounds for low blows in the bout in Hartford, Connecticut.
Referee Michael Ortega warned Dib after the second point deduction he would be disqualified if he threw another low blow.
From then on Dib, whose only two professional losses had been in America, concentrated primarily on head shots and outworked the American through most of the middle and latter rounds. Two judges scored the fight 96-92 to Dib while the third had it 94-94.
"My game is trying to hit the body and he (Ortega) didn't allow me to do that, I was kind of upset with that," Dib told AAP.
"I had to battle with points taken off for infringements I don't even think were worth taking points off for.
"I couldn't apply the pressure that I wanted to apply, I couldn't hit the body.
"I was trying to stick to the head which left me open a little bit.
"I'm fighting for the world title in my next fight, I'm excited and I'm pumped."
The victory kept Dib on course for a rematch with Russian Evgeny Gradovich, who took his title away earlier in the year.
Dib (36-2, 21 KOs) plans to invoke a rematch clause in his contract for that fight, provided Gradovich wins his first defence against Mauricio Munoz.
He confirmed he had not received a warning for punching low from Ortega before the first deduction, where he appeared to hurt Oliver with a legitimate left to the body, followed by a borderline right uppercut.
"Before the fight Michael Ortega came in and said 'these guys (Oliver's camp) are already complaining saying that you are known to be a dirty fighter'", Dib said.
"I thought 'what the hell is going on?'."
It wasn't the dominating display and knockout Dib was looking for, though he pushed the pace throughout the fight and frequently forced Hartford local Oliver (25-4, 8KOs) into the ropes.
While he was the aggressor, Dib was caught by several right hand counter punches from Oliver.
Dib concentrated in the early rounds on tagging Oliver with big right hands and body shots, but after being penalised for the latter, he used his jab effectively to set up plenty of right hand power shots to the head.
The Australian required some stitches in a wound near his left eye.
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg), along with three others, on Saturday assured India of at least four bronze medals at the Asian Boxing Championship by advancing to the semifinals of the event in Amman, Jordan.
Manoj won on a unanimous decision against Armi Khir of Malaysia and will take on Uranchimea munkh Erdene of Mongolia in the last-four stage on Sunday. The other Indians who have made the semifinals are Olympians L Devendro Singh (49kg) and Shiva Thapa (56kg) and the fast-rising Mandeep Jangra (69kg), who won a gold medal at the Limossol Cup in Cyprus a few weeks ago.
All three boxers, who are in their early 20s, are rising stars on the Indian boxing scene. Devendro won on a unanimous decision against Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon ofUzbekistan. His next bout is against LV Bin of China.
Shiva, on the other hand, won a split decision against Chinese Taipei's Li Lin Yen. He will now be up against Kyrgyzstan's Malbekov Omurbek.
Mandeep also won a split decision against Uzbekistan's Kosimov Nodirbek. His next opponent is Jargal Otgonjargal of Mongolia.
The only disappointment for India came in the form of Sukhdeep Singh (75kg), who lost to Jafoev Navruz of Tajikistan. The Punjab-lad lost on a split decision.
Four Indians in semis of Asian Boxing Championship - Times Of India
David Haye says he has agreed to fight his fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury on 28 September.
And Haye has challenged the unbeaten Fury to consent to the fight rather than take on David Price's conqueror Tony Thompson instead.
The 32-year-old Haye posted a video of himself apparently signing the fight contract on Instagram.
And he wrote: "I've just signed to fight Fury on Sep 28, let's hope he finally agrees (and signs today) and he doesn't keep delaying.
"Word around camp fire is Fury is looking to duck me and fight Tony 'The Tiger'. Let's hope they are just rumours ..."
Haye happy to sign
Speaking to the camera on his Instagram video, he added: "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, what a beautiful sunny day it is.
"I'm happy because I'm about to sign a contract to fight Tyson Fury. We've re-jigged the contract so he's nice and happy. Here we go ... (signs contract) ... all done."
Former dual-weight world champion Haye has not fought since beating Dereck Chisora in July last year, having had to pull out of a planned clash with Manuel Charr in June because of an injury to his left hand.
Haye's ultimate aim is a world title fight against Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko but a possible encounter with Fury has been mooted for some time as a stepping stone for one of the British duo.
Fury, 24, is 21-0 as a pro and knocked out America's Steve Cunningham in Madison Square Garden, New York in his latest fight in April.
Boxing: David Haye has signed up to fight Tyson Fury on 28 September | Sky Sports
Ryan tested positive for banned substance methylhexaneamine, also known as MHA which is found in supplement Jack3d.
“I’ve got nothing to hide, I have served my punishment,“ said Barrett. “I was in training for the London marathon, I thought what I was taking was no drama but I was proved wrong.“
Ryan is not the only boxer to be penalised for having this banned substance in his sample. Enzo Maccarinelli also tested positive after his March 2012 fight against Shane McPhilbin, and Brixton heavyweight Dillian Whyte is currently serving a suspension after using the supplement.
Ryan has served his ban and is now ready to get back in the mix. He will return at welterweight in a four rounder on July 27th. During the early stages of his ban, Ryan did contemplate retirement but now feels the break from boxing has made him determined to come back:
“I will be a fully fledged welterweight now, my come back fight will be at 10’ 10lb just to see if I can make the limit on the day comfortably and not be weight drained.
“I also have a fight in Germany on the 3rd August which will also be at 10’ 10lb. Then in September I will fight a six rounder on the welterweight limit to see if I can still do it. Obviously I want to come back and challenge for titles but I have to prove to myself that I can still do it.”
During his 11 years as a professional boxer Ryan has enjoyed a good spell of success. In 2008 he was crowned English super-featherweight champion after he stopped Femi Fehintola in the 3rd round. He has also won two Masters titles and contested the British featherweight title back in 2007.
Domestically, Ryan doesn’t feel the rewards are there right now so he is going to try something different for the time being. “I would love to fight for a British title again but I’m just not going to get the opportunity."
“Then I am opting to go on the road and fight abroad. This way I am getting offered good money to fight for a WBU world title or for a world intercontinental belt. I have also been offered to fight Fredrick Lawson in Ghana. I just feel can get better opportunities and bigger fights this way.”
The second half of 2013 is shaping up to be an exciting time for team Barrett as Ryan and his dad, Steve are trying their hand at the promotional side of the game. Ryan stood in front of the British Boxing Board of Control last week, and they have granted him a licence so he is now clear to fight on BBBofC licensed shows again.
“Now I have got my BBBofC licence back I can safely fight on our own promotion on the 27th of September. It's important to me that I fight on that show. We will be working under the ‘Meantime Promotions’ Banner and are investing in it’s long term future. We are trying to do something different as promoters and have bought a couple of good Americans, Scott and Dean Burrell over to give the show something extra.”
Boxing - Ryan Barrett returns at welterweight after doping ban - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Olympic boxing hopefuls could be forced to fight without headgear or insurance following Boxing Australia's decision to ban headgear at the elite men's level - a move that has divided the boxing and medical communities.
Boxing Australia has implemented the ban in line with the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) ban on protective headgear that came into effect on June 1.
Rule 33.1 of Boxing Australia's rules bans male competitors aged 19 to 40 from wearing headgear at national and international events conducted by Boxing Australia.
NSW Boxing has no plans to adopt the ban due to insurance complications for unprotected fighters.
NSW Boxing president Barry McDonald said: "All states are obligated by insurance to ensure fighters wear headgear at state level. We follow Boxing Australia's rules but for the moment we don't have the coverage and our blokes won't be fighting without insurance," he said.
Mr McDonald said he was not aware of any fights cancelled because of the changes introduced last month.
Veteran Illawarra boxing coach Billy Corbett welcomed the ban.
He said reliance on protective headgear exposed amateur fighters to potential brain injury because they tended to absorb punches rather than defend them.
"People use headgear to protect themselves, they're willing to take the shot in the head rather than learn to move their head away, to move their feet and get out of the road," Corbett said.
Alzheimer's Australia chief executive John Watkins called the ban "a retrograde step".
"We don't know enough about the long-term effects of repetitive brain injury for the association to blithely change the rules," Mr Watkins said.
"I am very concerned with the safety of boxers in the ring and their increased risk of long-term brain damage."
Alzheimer's Australia recently released a research paper linking repetitive sports-related head injuries to the development of dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinsons disease.
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Mr Watkins said the AIBA needed to "justify the ban with clear medical research".
"I've never heard of anyone in the medical sphere denying the link between boxing and the onset of Parkinsons and dementia."
Neither the AIBA nor Boxing Australia responded to requests for an interview yesterday.
Fight looming over boxing headgear ban | The Border Mail
For the first time in a long time, there's an embarrassment of riches in boxing's middleweight division – and that's even taking into consideration that the undisputed champ, Sergio Martinez, is on the shelf with an injury and top division draw, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., may be headed to super middleweight.
Best of all, though, the top guys all want one another and are willing to put everything on the line to prove their dominance. Or at least that's what they say.
WBA middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin has been on the prowl for quite some time, looking for Martinez but willing to face any of the top stars, either in his own division or one weight class to the north or south.
Australian IBF champ Daniel Geale has worked his way into a solid top-three spot in the division with wins over Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester and will be making his main stage U.S. debut on Aug. 17 against Darren Barker on HBO. Geale relishes his role as the division underdog and has also stated his desire to face the best of the best at 160.
"They probably believe that I'm one of the weaker champions and that excites me because I love being the underdog, the person that gets overlooked,'' Geale said recently.
WBO champ Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin wants them all, if a recent interview is to be believed, but he wants to save Martinez and Golovkin for last.
"And after I beat him [Martinez], I want Gennady Golovkin," he told ESPN. "That's a superstar fight, a big pay-per-view. We'd build to that." While Golovkin, Geale, and Quillin circle around the 38-year-old Martinez and eyeball one another, the fact remains that all three are still relatively unknown to the casual boxing fan and don't really generate enough heat to force an immediate showdown with the reigning "real" middleweight champ. And even if they did have the Nielsen Ratings mojo to force the fight, Martinez is legitimately injured, recovering from knee surgery, and won't be back until next year.
So, in the meantime, why doesn't everyone put their money where their mouth is and agree to a good, old-fashioned, four-man mini-tournament for the right to face Martinez in the second half of 2014?
The tournament would need a fourth entrant, of course. In a perfect world, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would step in and lend some star power to the event, but Chavez seems to be struggling with whether he even wants to keep fighting at 160 pounds – and from a recent photo taken of him looking bloated and out of shape, he appears to be losing that struggle.
No worries, though. There's plenty of talent to fill that fourth tournament slot.
Former three-time champ Felix Sturm is back to active duty and has already expressed his desire to reclaim his belt from Geale. Former interim WBO and WBA titlist Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam actually saw his stock rise in a gutsy unanimous decision loss to Quillin, which saw him fight back from six knockdowns. Martin Murray is the tough British battler who came within a whisker of beating both Sturm and Martinez in their own back yards. Even second-tier retreads like Andy Lee, Marco Antonio Rubio and Sergio Mora could be solid No. 4 seeds.
The tournament would give the fighters a chance to make an even bigger name for themselves while simultaneously allowing Martinez to take a well-deserved break. After the four-man scramble, the winner would emerge a bigger star walking into a showdown with a Martinez, who should be at 100 percent.
Martinez, for his part, has already stated that he's willing to take on any and all challengers once he's fully recovered.
Boxing politics, however, might once again be the turd in the punch bowl for fight fans as Golden Boy's Quillin is a Showtime fighter, while Golovkin and Martinez do business with HBO.
But if words are to be believed, everyone's so eager to prove themselves that something could surely be worked out. Right?
"My man Kid Chocolate will destroy any middleweight out there," Golden Boy President Oscar De la Hoya recently wrote to his social media followers. "I wanna see Golovkin vs. Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam and then I'll see if he's good or not."
OK, then. Everybody seems to want in. Let's do it.
Fight fans love to talk about fights. They love to talk about the fights that happened in the past and the fights that are coming up. They love to talk about the fights that might be.
And they even love to talk about the fights that never were. “What would have happened...” is a favorite game among boxing fans.
Most of the time, conversations about what would have happened focus on fights that would have been historically impossible. Everybody loves to weigh in on hypothetical battles between legends from different eras.
But there are many intriguing hypothetical fights which most certainly could have happened. Indeed, in many cases, these are fights that should have happened.
These are fights that seem so likely, it's almost possible to imagine alternate realities where they occurred. It's like parallel universes, where only boxing history is radically different than the world we otherwise recognize as our own.
Pictures: The Best Boxing Matchups That Never Happened | Bleacher Report
When Andy Murray punched the air after his historic Wimbledon triumph last Sunday it was the reaction of a man who knows how to throw a mean right hook. Outside of tennis, boxing is his favourite sport – he has sparred with Amir Khan and been taught the rudiments of the ring by David Haye, both close buddies – so no doubt he will be happy to pass on a few tips that may help one British noble artist break an age-old jinx.
Murray is one Olympic gold medallist who has gone on to win a world title, as Wimbledon is generally recognised, an achievement that no British Olympic boxing champion (and there have been seven men since the Second World War) has accomplished. But the expectation is that London 2012's heavyweight hero Anthony Joshua will buck the trend if only someone can persuade him to put pen to paper and turn professional.
News last weekend that Joshua was to join Eddie Hearn's Sky-backed Matchroom stable was described subsequently as "premature" in tweets by both parties. Hearn tells me: "I believe we have a deal but nothing has been signed yet." The delay could be because Hearn did not want the publicity impact to be lost in the euphoria of Murray's victory, as well as the hoopla surrounding the one big deal that has been done – for the appetite-whetting collision between Haye and Tyson Fury which Fury's promoter, Mick Hennessy, generously labels "the best heavyweight fight in world boxing".
It could be that Joshua and his agent are waiting to see if there are further bids in the auction, with BT believed to be keen to add boxing to their sports portfolio when their new satellite channel is launched next month.
As previously reported in these pages, Joshua had seriously considered linking up with the former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, with whom he spent some time in Jamaica earlier this year. But while he may well have benefited from such eminent weaning, I doubt he was greatly impressed by Lewis's failure to revive the flawed fortunes of the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist David Price in Liverpool on Saturday, when veteran American Tony Thompson emphatically repeated his previous KO victory.
Lewis had been drafted in to coach and condition the British heavyweight champion but even he could not put muscles on chins, though the shattered Scouser surely can take heart in the knowledge that Henry Cooper once lost four fights in a row – three by KO – and still went on to challenge Muhammad Ali for the world title.
The one certainty is that Joshua will be a prized recruit to Britain's heavyweight scene, which will be enriched by the bonanza in Manchester on 28 September.
There was much feigned animosity on the banks of the Thames last week when former world champion Haye and the unbeaten Fury formally pledged to punch each other's lights out. Both are understandably hyping a fight that could see them split a £10 million purse, depending on Sky Box Office sales. Which is why the next 10 weeks will be full of sound and Fury.
So far the epithets have been relatively restrained, but both Haye and the garrulous giant have previously been upbraided by the Board of Control for foul and abusive language in the build-up to fights.
So who will occupy the air-is-blue corner at the 20,000-capacity Manchester Arena, where ringside seats are going for £800? Fury reckons he won the first round in the verbal tussle after a tirade that left Haye uncharacteristically speechless at times, though he later suggested Fury was "mentally deranged".
"All you need in the heavyweight division is heart, determination... and a pair of balls like King Kong," Fury roared. "He may be the Hayemaker, but I have the Playmaker," he declared, waving aloft a huge right fist before adding: "He's just a celebrity fighter... a big tart."
"He's very entertaining," Haye sighed. "But you can't argue with an idiot, I just let him crack on with it. It's easy for someone who's never won a world title to be dismissive of someone who has been world champion for 10 years.
"He said that he's the greatest boxer there has ever been. He genuinely believes that. I think he's mentally deranged. Not in a bad way, he's not a danger to anybody – particularly in the boxing ring.
"He's like a rottweiler puppy I once had named Bonzo, all clumsy and tripping over. He looks a bit dangerous but not really. On the other hand I am a lot smaller than him, I'm like a pitbull. When it comes to it he won't be able to get me off. I'll give him a nice juicy payday and let him ride off into the sunset."
All good knockabout stuff, just as there was before Haye despatched Dereck Chisora in the last big domestic heavyweight bust-up a year ago. Chisora is hoping to project himself back into the big picture when he tops the bill again at Wembley next Saturday for Frank Warren against a slick and undefeated American, Malik Scott, on a show to be screened by BoxNation.
Meantime the heavyweight world awaits the pleasure of Mr Joshua. If he gets himself sorted there is speculation that he could even be on the Manchester undercard. Then there's the matter of who should be in his corner motivating him towards that Olympian goal of a world title. Maybe Big Josh should give Murray a call.
Britain's bruisers
David Haye Aka The Hayemaker. Born in London, aged 32, 6ft 3in. Former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. Beaten twice in 28 bouts, by Carl Thompson and Wladimir Klitschko when he blamed a bruised big toe. Highlight: defeating Russian giant Nikolay Valuev for WBA heavyweight title.
Tyson Fury Named after Iron Mike. Born in Manchester, aged 25, 6ft 9in. Former British champion. Descendent of gypsy bare-knuckle legend Bartley Gorman. Undefeated in 21 bouts. Highlight: Getting up to KO former world light-heavyweight champion Steve Cunningham.
Dereck Chisora Aka Del Boy. Born in Zimbabwe, aged 29, 6ft 1in. Lost British title to Fury, and was knocked down and stopped by Haye last year. Lost four
Indonesia has ordered an investigation into a riot at a boxing match in the eastern province of Papua late Sunday, triggering a stampede that killed at least 17 people.
In a report Monday, Indonesian state news agency Antara quoted Sports Minister Roy Suryo as saying about 1,500 people were inside the Kota Lama stadium in the town of Nabire, despite the venue having a capacity of only 800. He also said the arena had only two gates.
The riot began when supporters of a boxer who lost a championship match reacted angrily to the outcome and threw chairs, prompting a confrontation with fans of the winning boxer. Other spectators ran for the exits to escape the violence but were crushed at the gates. Eleven of those killed were women. Around 40 people were injured in the chaos.
Indonesian police questioned several witnesses to the incident and deployed additional forces in Nabire to maintain order.
Antara quoted the deputy chairman of the Indonesian parliament as saying the violence shows that the public's acceptance of sportsmanship remains weak. Hajriyanto Thohari said awareness of sportsmanship cannot be achieved instantly but must be developed from an early age in homes, schools and communities.
Indonesia Investigates Deadly Riot at Boxing Match
The upcoming clash between unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mexican champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez may prove to be a good boxing match but fans who like action “might fall asleep,” warned Hall-of-Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach.
Speaking to Luis Sandoval of Boxing Scene, Roach said the bout, which will be held on September 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, figures to be a “very, very good boxing match.”
“It’s not a great fight, it’s a good boxing match,” said Roach. “I think a boxing fan will really like that fight, but some people at home that like action might fall asleep.”
Roach is also giving the edge in the fight to Mayweather, who is gunning for his 45th consecutive professional victory against the 22-year-old Canelo.
“Mayweather is a beautiful boxer and I think Mayweather will win a decision in that fight,” he said.
Roach said that while Alvarez has his advantages, he does not think the Mexican will be the one to give Mayweather his first ever professional loss.
“You know Alvarez is a pretty good puncher and a tough guy. But does he have a chance at beating Mayweather? I don’t think so,” he said.
The Mayweather-Alvarez bout will be held at a catchweight of 152-pounds.
In another sporting first for the region, Doha has won the right to host the World Boxing Championships in 2015, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced yesterday.
Doha was chosen over Bangkok after the Qatar Boxing Federation’s bid to host the event impressed the executive committee of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at its annual meeting in the volcanic Jeju Island province.
The championships will be held from October 5 to 18, 2015 at the Lusail Multi-Purpose Sports Hall.
Fully supported by HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), the Doha delegation had travelled to Jeju with representatives from the QOC and the Qatar Boxing Federation.
Yousif al-Kazim, secretary general of the Qatar Boxing Federation, expressed his happiness after winning the bid.
“We are delighted with the trust and confidence of the AIBA council. We have no doubt that the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships will be one of the best in the history of the sport and new standards will be set in this brand new region for AIBA. The council
knows we will not let them down!”
Al-Kazim added: “I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman for his full support and guidance in this successful bid.”
Doha 2015 will be the first World Boxing Championships ever to be hosted in the region and officials said it offered an opportunity to “innovatively promote boxing to a new audience, to set new standards of excellence for the world championships and to further strengthen the role, status and reach of the AIBA.”
AIBA president Dr Wu Ching-Kuo congratulated Qatar and said Doha winning the bid offered the world body a chance to explore new horizons in its efforts to promote boxing.
“On behalf of the AIBA Executive Committee, I would like to congratulate the city of Doha for the impressive proposal they have put together,” said Dr Wu.
The World Boxing Championships will be one of two global sports events to be held in Qatar in 2015, the other being the handball World Cup.
Qatar will also be hosting the cycling road racing World Championships in 2016 and has bids lined up for several other global events in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Leroy Davila seems to be getting used to international competition.
The New Brunswick boxer captured his third straight gold medal in an international tournament Saturday when he won the light flyweight division at the Makar Mazai Memorial in Mariupol, Ukraine, beating Ukrainian boxer Viktor Denisov in the final, 3-0.
Last month, Davila won gold in the Olympic Cup as well as the preceding Cheo Aponte Cup, both in Puerto Rico during back-to-back weeks.
“Things are going great right now,” said Davila, who upped his record to 8-1 against international competition with Saturday’s victory. “I just keep my faith in God, fight my hardest and do my best to win every bout. I’m starting to gain more confidence.”
Davila made his international debut in February during the Independence Cup in the Dominican Republic, where he took the silver medal in his division. But he hasn’t lost since, and Davila said his ability to adapt to opposing boxers’ styles has been the key to success thus far.
“You have to adapt to them, and I’ve been blessed with the ability to adapt and keep winning,” he said. “All I know is if the guy in the other corner doesn’t hit me and I keep hitting him, I’m going to win. It’s all about finding the gaps in his defense and choosing my punches wisely.”
Now one of the captains for Team USA, the 25-year-old Davila will take a few days off and get right back to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as the squad gears up for the upcoming Elite Continental Boxing Championships in Chile starting Aug. 27, followed by the World Boxing Championships in October.
Davila said he enjoys traveling to the various countries and seeing how others around the world live their daily lives.
“We get to meet new people and see different cultures, and I love it,” he said. “But what I love as much as the traveling is being able to cheer for my teammates and seeing them succeed as well. I like being a captain on the team, because I didn’t know how much of an impact I could make on others and now I do.”
And even though the traveling and constant training keeps him away from his family for months at a time now, Davila knows bigger things are yet to come, with the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, now on the radar.
“Brazil 2016 is now closer to becoming a reality than it is being a fantasy,” he said. “I just have to keep training, stay healthy and maintain my focus and that dream definitely can be a reality. It feels really great to be in this situation. I count my blessings every day.”
Mexico's Alvarez, whose nickname is spanish for "Cinnamon", will defend his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super welterweight titles against Mayweather in a pay-per-view show on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Mayweather, 44-0 with 26 knockouts, has relied upon Mexican fight fans, many cheering for his rivals, to help make him the world's highest-paid athlete, with Sports Illustrated estimating he will make US$90 million (S$114.3 million) this year.
Mayweather, who was jailed last June on domestic violence charges, will make the bout the second in a six-fight deal with telecaster Showtime that could bring him record profits by the conclusion of the deal.
Alvarez, 42-0 with one drawn and 30 knockouts, suffered the only blemish on his record in 2006 with a draw in his fifth professional bout and hopes to end Mayweather's magical run.
"In boxing everybody has their time and this is my time," Alvarez said. "Everybody knows that Floyd is the best without question, but it's my time. We're going to win.
"I'm younger and bigger, which are very important keys. Floyd is a very intelligent fighter, but I'm going to have the right game plan. This is my biggest fight but I've visualised it and prepared my mind for it for a while."
Alvarez turns 23 next month while Mayweather, 36, fought his first pro fight when the Mexican was only six years old.
"It has truly been an amazing ride," Mayweather said. "I'm blessed to be in the sport of boxing and be at the top for 17 years. I just want to give the fans a hell of a fight.
"Canelo is a young strong champion. He has obviously done something right to be at this level. He's a guy that I can't overlook. I've got to go out there and fight the best fight." Mayweather also warned that Alvarez has not faced anyone as hard to stop.
"When guys face me, it's a totally different level," Mayweather said. "I know what it takes in a fight of this magnitude and I'm going to continue to dedicate myself to my craft and be the best that I can be.
"The Earth is my turf. You can put me in any ring and I'll always come out victorious."
Boxing: Mayweather, Alvarez begin hype for showdown