Boxing archive

Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), 30, survived a toe-to-toe war with Ruslan Provodnikov in March 2013 before outboxing slick counterpuncher Juan Manuel Marques in October.

But the native of Palm Springs, Calif., returns April 12 in Las Vegas (HBO PPV) for a second go-around with Pacquiao. Bradley's split-decision victory in their first bout went down as one of the most controversial decisions in modern history.

Discuss 2013 and how your fights against Provodnikov and Marquez solidified you as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

"The year 2013 was a great one for me. I started out the year fighting a guy who wasn't very well known outside the boxing community by the name of Ruslan Provodnikov. You might have heard of him by now since our fight was voted fight of the year by the Boxing Writers of America. Ruslan has also gone on to win a junior welterweight title and has moved into many people's top 10 pound-for-pound lists.

"My second fight of 2013 was against a current top five pound-for-pound guy that had just come off of the knockout of the year against Manny Pacquiao, the future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez. This fight, unlike the Provodnikov fight, was a chess match and I believe I gave Juan Manuel Marquez a boxing lesson.

"With these two fights I was able to show that I can outbox a top-five pound-for-pound boxer and I could also go toe to toe with one of the most feared punchers in the sport. I was able to show the fans that I am a versatile fighter and can box and brawl as needed. I believe that being a top pound-for-pound fighter means that you have to do whatever it takes to win whether it's outbox your opponent or fight your opponent blow for blow in the center of the ring. I am out to prove that I am one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, if not the best.

"In my two fights in 2013 I was able to show that I can do it all in the sport of boxing. This next fight will be no different in helping me show the fans that I am top pound for pound in the world. I have a lot to prove and nothing can stop me on my way to being No. 1 in the world."



Bradley: 'Nothing can stop me' - Boxing Blog - ESPN

For more than 40 years, Alvino Peña changed the lives of hundreds of kids in the Quad Cities through his Davenport Boxing Club. He died, Thursday, March 20, 2014 after a battle with Alzheimer’s at the age of 82.

His life work is continuing through those hoping to pay it forward.

Behind the boxers in the ring at the Davenport Boxing Club are black and white photos of the man who made it possible for them to be there.

“I’ll be 45 this year. In my time, that was my superhero. He’s somebody when I grew up, I feared and respected and honored what he was doing, and as I got older, I can’t help but love what he’s done for us,” said Leonard Overstreet.

Alvino Peña opened the Davenport Boxing Club in 1968.

“He just told me he wanted to make a difference,” said Overstreet.

Working two jobs to keep the gym open, Peña invited kids into the ring, who had been knocked down or needed a positive place to put their feet.

“He loved every kid, black white, purple, Chinese, it didn’t make a difference,” said Overstreet.

Leonard Overstreet was one of those kids.

“He loved me when I didn’t love myself,” he said.

Overstreet started boxing with Peña when he was nine.

“If he didn’t yell at you, you must didn’t have no talent,” said Overstreet.

Leonard did. And he had a promising boxing career until he was sent to prison for drugs. When he got out 12 years later, it was Peña who was there, making him promise he’d stay on the straight and narrow.

“And I’m gonna do it Alvino. I promise you, I’m gonna do that,” said Overstreet.

Alvino helped hundreds of other kids and coached some to regional, national, even world titles. Michael Nunn and Antwun Echols are some of the most recognized names. In 1999, he was inducted to the National Golden Gloves Hall of Fame and a few years later into the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame. “He’s put together a legacy,” said Overstreet.

His pride was in his gym. He was there every day, without pay.

“They don’t make men like him anymore. That man’s a father, a leader, that man is a dream maker, he’s my superhero,” said Overstreet.

And although he’s gone, after his own fight with Alzheimer’s and cancer, what Alvino Peño stood for and worked for, will live on through people like Leonard Overstreet who is now a coach in Peña’s gym.

“If coming here every day is what I gotta do to get a piece of him, knowing he’s gonna smile down on me, that’s what I’m gonna do,” said Overstreet.




Beloved QC boxing legend remembered | WQAD-com

The renowned former boxing promoter and manager Mickey Duff has died aged 84.

Duff worked with 16 world champions and many world-class British fighters, including Frank Bruno, Joe Calzaghe, John Conteh and Lloyd Honeyghan.

Born Monek Prager in Krakow, Poland, Duff had a four-year career as a boxer in 1940s England, later rising to prominence as a manager and promoter.

He left boxing in 1999, having vowed to retire if Billy Schwer failed to win the WBC world lightweight title.

Barry Hearn, whose career as a boxing promoter coincided with Duff's, tweeted: "Sorry to hear that Mickey Duff died today. RIP legendary promoter."

Conteh, who held the WBC light-heavyweight crown from 1974 to 1977, said Duff loved the sport and knew it inside out.

"I turned pro in 1971 and Mickey was my promoter until I won the world championship in 1974," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "He was a boxer himself from a tough background so he knew where we were coming from.

"You listened to him and you trusted him. He was a great matchmaker and offered a tremendous vehicle for someone like me to turn professional.

"In those days you had to come to London to make it big. He had some fantastic venues, such as Wembley and the Royal Albert Hall."

Aged 15, Duff side-stepped the British Boxing Board of Control to acquire a promoter's licence - by law a licence could not be issued to anyone aged under 16.

After forming partnerships with Jack Solomons and Jarvis Astaire, he became a widely respected figure in the sport and established a broadcasting alliance with the BBC.

Over the course of a career spanning several decades, Duff saw off competition from rival promoters and was reportedly the target of threats. East End gangsters the Kray twins are said to have once sent his wife a flower box containing a dead rat after he barred them from a show.

In the 1980s, Duff enjoyed a near monopoly on UK boxing, but retired from promoting having witnessed the rise of Frank Warren, whose standing flourished through new partnerships with broadcasters ITV and Sky.

"He was one of the most important figures in post-War British boxing," Warren told the Daily Telegraph. "At his pinnacle he was one of the most astute match-makers."

Audley Harrison, who won super-heavyweight Olympic gold in 2000, said: "He left his mark on the game and was the main man for decades."

Barry McGuigan, president of the Professional Boxing Association and former WBA featherweight champion, described Duff as "a giant of boxing in a different era".

Duff was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999 and will be fondly remembered for a quote that remains widely celebrated among senior figures in the sport: "If you want loyalty, buy a dog."



BBC Sport - Mickey Duff: Boxing manager and promoter dies aged 84

The battle between English journalists Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson continues to escalate — this time with a challenge for a boxing match that ended with chicken noises.

Morgan, whose CNN talk show was recently canceled, issued a series of tweets Thursday directed at his nemesis Clarkson — who once punched him in the face.

Morgan challenged Clarkson on his Twitter account to a five-round boxing match at Wembley Stadium, in which the loser would pay £100,000 to charity.

"He talks a good game, let's see if @JeremyClarkson has the b---s to walk it too. £100k charity fight — yes or no, Fatboy?" he tweeted.

Morgan, the former editor of the Daily Mirror tabloid, and Clarkson have a long acrimonious history which includes Clarkson striking Morgan in the face at an event in 2004.

"He talks a good game, let's see if @JeremyClarkson has the b---s to walk it too. £100k charity fight — yes or no, Fatboy?"

Clarkson discussed the incident on the BBC talk show “Parkinson.”

"It was the first time I ever hit anybody ever," Clarkson said, adding he injured a finger in the fight. "Every woman who found out what I did said why did I hit him? And every man says, ‘Where did you hit him?’ "

But this time Clarkson, who hosts the BBC show “Top Gear,” tweeted he was not hungry for a rematch.

"I'm not going to box Piers Morgan. I'm too busy. But I know plenty of people in the British Army who'll gladly take my place," he tweeted, later adding, "Now seriously. Leave me alone. I've got a job to do."

The denial infuriated Morgan, who ripped off a bunch of insulting tweets including calling Clarkson a chicken.

"Cluck cluck cluck," he tweeted




Piers Morgan calls Jeremy Clarkson a chicken for refusing charity boxing match  - NY Daily News

American boxer just posted on his Instagram account a short video clip of himself preparing for his May 3 bout with Argentinean boxer Marcos Maidana. One of the toning techniques that he uses is raising himself up with the assistance of two burly aides and then moving his feet while suspended in the air.



He calls the movement money walk, a clear reference to his moniker Money May. Explaining further, he wrote, "If Michael Jackson had the moon walk & Michael Jordan had the air walk , it's only right for Mayweather to have the "money walk ."

Mayweather then ended the posting with the address of his Web site The Money Team : Official Online Store.

Besides being savvy with his finance, hence the Money May tag, Floyd is also an expert social media user. Over the weekend, he promised to personally autograph the March issue of the Black Enterprise Magazine where he is the cover boy, if he sees his fans with the publication.

The video of the money walk was taken at Mayweather's plush gym in Las Vegas which features state-of-the-art equipment.



forum-ixgames-com/newthread-php?do=newthread&f=46

We, the media, too often treat them, the athletes, the fighters, as objects, present to entertain and amuse us, and serve as punching bags when we see fit.

Sure, the payoff for success can be considerable, in acclaim, in compensation. But we, the media, and so many of us with a Twitter account, myself included, could be doing a better job at accentuating the positive, and not being so quick to latch on to the sensational angle.

People like me should more often highlight stories like the one I came across Tuesday, when I saw ex-world champ Paul Malignaggi present a beefy check, $25,000, to a charitable organization, Knockout Obesity, during a press event at Gleason's Gym in DUMBO.

I told the 33-year-old boxer, who once again lives in New York after a couple years in L.A., that I was proud of him, for digging into his pocket. I see a lot of athletes bragging about the dough they make and blow, but, I told Malignaggi (33-5 with 7 KOs), I'd rather see them advertise the funds they're funneling to charitable endeavors. Not to brag, or get a bump in positive press, but because that is leadership. You think maybe one or two other fighters might see this story, be impressed with Malignaggi's gesture and follow suit?

The athlete has a fight coming up, April 19 in DC (on a Golden Boy show to air on Showtime), and he'll get another crack at a crown, this time an IBF welterweight strap held by Ohioan Shawn Porter.

Malignaggi's right eye was a bit puffed and discolored at Gleason's, compliments of a launch from sparring partner Frank Galarza, the Red Hook native who is one of the best prospects in NYC. The message that eye sent to me was clear: that check Paulie handed over to Dimitrios Verteouris, a restaurant owner ("Nature's Grill") who started Knockout Obesity after getting serious about trimming down from over 300 pounds, is hard-earned cash. Malignaggi has earned that dough, and that makes the gesture that much more meaningful.

"I was born and raised in Brooklyn," said Malignaggi, as his pal Verteouris, and Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams listened intently. "I have the ability to give back to my community, help make a difference, and Knockout Obesity is a program I believe in. I know it can make a huge difference in the community. Boxing is an optimum, great way to exercise and with diet and nutrition added to the mix, it's a winning program."

Knockout Obesity incorporates boxing into its health and fitness classes geared towards adults and children throughout Brooklyn. Initially a summer pilot program at The Boys' Club of New York (BCNY), Knockout Obesity is now a year-round program in three community centers.

Dr. Wendy Scinta, an expert on adult and childhood obesity, also attended. We chatted about the obesity epidemic, and about how so many of us deal with stress with "fork therapy."

"Two thirds of adults are overweight and half of those are obese," said Scinta. "One in three children struggle with their weight. We have to take matters into our own hands, one child, one family, and then one community at a time." She told me that the rate of those with diabetes is higher in Brooklyn than anywhere in the nation, which blew me away. I promised to follow her on Twitter, check out her book, and do what I can to spread the good word.

Malignaggi said that he was moved to act by seeing old pal Verteouris change his lifestyle, and stop over-indulging in bad-for-you foods. "I saw my friend become a better person," he said, "and I've come to realize that people are always fighting, not just as I do, in a combat sport, but to overcome obstacles in life."

On April 19, I like Malignaggi to impose his superior ring generalship on Porter and win another crown. If he pulls that off, he will be showered in praise. But what he did on Tuesday, making that donation and trying to spread words of positivity in his community, deserves just as much, if not more, praise.



Paul Malignaggi strikes a blow vs. obesity - New York Boxing Blog - ESPN New York

Tracy Patterson and the late Floyd Patterson put the mid-Hudson Valley on the world boxing map. On Sunday, the two will be recognized for their accomplishments when they are among the 20 inductees into the third class of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony and luncheon are being held at Russo’s On the Bay on Long Island.

“I’m honored. It’s real special to be going in with my dad,” Tracy said. “He did a lot of good things for me. It’s going to be a special day.”

The Pattersons are both two-time world champions who became trainers after retiring. Floyd, a 1991 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, operated a boxing gym in New Paltz where he trained Tracy.

“It wasn’t designed that way. It just turned out that way. This is a great class,” Bob Duffy, president of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, said of the Pattersons being inducted the same year with Gerry Cooney, Howard Davis Jr. and Floyd’s late trainer Cus D’Amato.

“We want to make sure New York boxers are never forgotten. This is why we started the hall of fame.”

Floyd (55-8-1, 40 knockouts), the middleweight gold medalist at the 1952 Olympics, became the youngest heavyweight champion and the first two-time heavyweight champion during his career. He twice fought Muhammad Ali for titles later in his career, his final fight being a loss to Ali in 1972. Following his retirement, Floyd trained boxers and also served as the New York State Boxing Commissioner before passing away in 2006.

Tracy (63-8-2, 43 knockouts) fought in Poughkeepsie nine times, and held the WBC super bantamweight and IBF super featherweight titles during his career. Two of his Poughkeepsie fights were title defenses on national television.

“It’s a great honor for them,” said Poughkeepsie’s Brian Burke, who worked in Tracy’s corner with Floyd. “I’m just proud of Tracy; it’s a huge thing for him to get inducted. He’s a class act, like his dad.”



www-poughkeepsiejournal-com/article/20140328/SPORTS/303280038/Boxing-Pattersons-going-into-Hall-Fame-together

While one can rightfully forgive anyone who is unfamiliar with light heavyweight Cedric Agnew, the unbeaten fighter is hoping this will be the last time that happens. Agnew (26-0, 13 KOs) gets his chance Saturday to make his name known when he challenges unbeaten titlist Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 KOs) at Boardwalk Hall's Adrian Phillips Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J. (HBO, 10 p.m. ET/PT).

While most are waiting anxiously for a chance to see Kovalev square off with the best fighters in the division, it's Agnew, 27, a native of Chicago, who will get the first crack in 2014 against the Russian knockout artist.

One fight removed from his biggest victory to date last April against former title challenger Yusaf Mack, Agnew will step in against one of boxing's biggest rising stars who also doubles as one of its most dangerous punchers.

How big of an opportunity is it for you at this point in your career to land the title fight against Kovalev?
This is real big. It's big landing a fight with any world champion at this stage in my career.

What is the best way to describe your fighting style to any fans who haven't had the chance to see you fight?
Fun to watch. Entertaining. I'm a boxer and puncher.

Which one of your victories gave you the most confidence to know that you are ready for a world title shot?
All of them. Each opponent was put in front of me for a reason, just like each opponent that [Kovalev] fought. We take fights for a reason. Each fight I've taken was for this point right now.

How much have you enjoyed the underdog role heading into this fight considering everyone is talking about Adonis Stevenson's name whenever Kovalev is brought up?
I don't pay attention to social media and websites or none of that. I never look at myself as an underdog. I look at myself as having as much to lose as he does. I'm not a fighter who is coming in here with four or five losses. I'm an undefeated fighter just like he is.

Considering the run Kovalev has been on knocking people out, how leery are you of his punching power?
I don't trade with no opponent. You beat a fighter with your brain and I'm looking forward to beating this guy with my brain. I don't trade with nobody.

Do you believe Kovalev has been able to live up to the lofty hype that has followed him over the past year?
Pretty much. But he's fighting people who are scared of him. It's easy to fight people who are scared of you. When you get in with a fighter who doesn't fear you, it's a different ball game.

What do you have to do in order to be successful against Kovalev?
You have to use your brain. The smarter fighter will win.

What do you hope for fans to find out about you on Saturday?
Honestly, just to get my name out there. You don't have to find out that I'm a hell of a fighter or that I'm world class. You don't have to find out I'm none of that. Just recognize me when I'm out there.

What are your thoughts on some of the top names in the light heavyweight division?
There are some real good top names out there. This division has really picked up. You've got your Bernard Hopkins. You've got your Beibut Shumenov. You've got other guys who are looking to come up to this weight class. It's looking good for the light heavyweight division.

When you received the call that you were getting the fight with Kovalev, was it a surprise to you or more of a culmination of all the hard work you have put in up until this point?
It wasn't much of a surprise because this is the fight we've been looking for. But it kind of feels like a breakthrough because guys have been ducking us for quite some time. To get this call is good.

If you can pull the upset off on Saturday, what will it mean for you considering all you have been through as a professional up until this point?
Well, when I pull this victory off it's just going to feel like a long time coming. I've been waiting for this for a long time. It's going to feel like a big relief.



Cedric Agnew Q&A: 'I'm a boxer and puncher' - ESPN

Vibranium is the rarest metal known to man, having been first deposited on Earth by a meteorite approximately 10,000 years ago in what is now the small African country of Wakanda. The ultra-resilient alloy changes hands for as much as $250,000 per gram and can only be purchased by agreement with the ruling Wakandan tribe, the Vibuntu.

Reports claim that securing enough Vibranium to fashion the belt’s middle was made even more difficult after a leaked document containing Mayweather’s purse demands for the contest, which include a Vibranium plated Bugatti, forced prices to an all-time high.

A delegation from each of the major sanctioning bodies had to travel to Wakanda to provide personal assurances to Vibuntun elders that American judge CJ Ross would never again be put in the position of having to score a professional boxing contest.



Mayweather and Maidana to contest

MMA fighter and kickboxer Tyrone Spong has two fights in two sports lined up for the coming months. Now, he has revealed his plans for the second half of 2014 - to make his professional boxing debut. Hear from Spong in this exclusive Bloody Elbow interview.



Tyrone Spong is a busy man. The two sport fighter is currently finalizing kickboxing training for Glory 15 Istanbul next Saturday, April 12, and was just announced as a participant in WSOF 11 this summer where he will compete in his 3rd pro MMA fight against an opponent yet to be named. But if Spong has his way, these won't be the only two professional sports he takes part in for 2014, as he told Bloody Elbow in this exclusive interview:



I am going to have my boxing debut after my MMA fight [at WSOF 11]. My coach, my boxing coach Pedro Diaz, myself, everybody is very satisfied with how things are going in my boxing training. I'm sparring with Heavyweight boxers - really good Heavyweight boxers - and everybody is very satisfied. So I'm looking forward to boxing soon.

And just how soon?

Before the end of the year.

Spong's former Blackzilians training partner Alistair Overeem has shown the possibilities for success in kickboxing and MMA at the same time, and so far, Spong has indeed found that two sport success. However, this move into three separate combat sports, all at the professional level, is one without much precedent. Does the 28 year old fighter worry that splitting his time between the three will spread him too thin?

Not really, no. It's not that hard for me. Maybe I'm just blessed, but when I see something, I copy it, and it's no problem.

Spong is working with Pedro Diaz, the boxing coach for the Blackzilians team. Diaz is a highly esteemed boxing coach who has worked with some of the sport's best including Miguel Cotto and Guillermo Rigondeaux. If Diaz is working with Spong, you can expect the King of the Ring to be serious when he steps into the boxing ring, potentially before the endof 2014.

Get more on Spong in the coming week as we lead up to Glory 15 Istanbul, Saturday, April 12.






Tyrone Spong plans pro boxing debut for 2014 - Bloody Elbow

Matthew Saad Muhammad, who was involved in some of boxing's most exciting fights during his Hall of Fame career, died Sunday morning at Chestnut Hill Hospital in his hometown of Philadelphia. He was 59.

The cause of death was not announced.

Saad Muhammad won the WBC light-heavyweight title in 1979 and went on to defend it eight times before losing by TKO to Dwight Muhammad Qawi in 1981. He retired in 1992 with a 49-16-3 record (35 KOs) and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.

"Matthew Saad Muhammad was one of the most exciting boxers of all time. His drama-filled fights were thrilling and he was a real fan favorite," Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy said in announcing Saad Muhammad's death. "We join the boxing community in mourning his passing and offer our condolences to his family."

Saad Muhammad was born Maxwell Antonio Loach on June 16, 1954 in Philadelphia. His mother died when he was five. He was taken in by his aunt, but was soon abandoned. When he was found by police on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, he was taken to the Catholic Social Services, where the nuns gave him the first name Matthew, after the saint, and the last name Franklin, after the parkway on which he was found.

"(My brother) took me out in the city, where I wouldn't know where I was or how to find my way home, and ran away from me," Saad Muhammad told One Step Away, a newspaper produced by residents of city shelters, earlier this year. "I tried to run after him. I ran as fast as I could. I was 5 years old and I was running for my life."

He turned pro in 1974 as Matthew Franklin and later changed his name to Matthew Saad Muhammad. He captured the WBC title with an 8th round TKO against Marvin Johnson in 1979. Eight successful defenses followed including wins against John Conteh, Yaqui Lopez, Murray Sutherland and Jerry Martin before losing the belt to another Hall of Famer, Dwight Qawi, in 1981.

Saad Muhammad's 1980 bout with Lopez was named "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine, and the eighth round of that fight was named the eighth greatest of all time.

In the epic 1980 title defense against Lopez, The Philadelphia Inquirer said Saad Muhammad absorbed roughly 70 straight punches without returning a blow. But he did not go down and recovered to win by technical knockout, living up to his nickname, "Miracle Matthew."

Saad Muhammad converted to Islam early in his career and adopted the name he would keep for the rest of his life. According to The Inquirer, he tracked down his family, but said his aunt was only interested in collecting a $10,000 reward the fighter had offered if anyone could locate her.

The fighter became homeless four years ago and lived in a city shelter, but had his own place in North Philadelphia at the time of his passing, The Inquirer said. Saad Muhammad became an advocate for the homeless, teaming with One Step Away. He was the spokesman for their "Knock Out Homelessness" campaign.





Hall of Fame boxer Matthew Saad Muhammad dies at 59

Chris Algieri and Manny Pacquiao fight on November 22, 2014 in Macau.

As early as now I know that Pacquiao will win this match.

59, still such a young age.. RIP though

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was sexually abused when he was seven years old by a stranger on the street, he told US radio.

The 48-year-old former boxer said an adult male grabbed him.

"He bullied me, sexually abused me and stuff... snatched me off the street. I was a little kid," he told Sirius XM Radio.

Tyson said he never saw the man again and never reported the incident to his parents or the police.

"It was nobody's business to know. I just lived my life," he said, during an interview to promote his new TV show.

Tyson did not elaborate on what effect the abuse had on him, and said he does not feel any shame about what happened.

"I don't always remember, maybe I do but I don't. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed from that perspective," he said.

Tyson made history in 1986 when at age 20 he became the youngest boxer ever to hold a world heavyweight title.

The legendary boxer won 50 out of 58 matches during his illustrious career, including 44 by knockout.

He has also made headlines for scandals, notably in 1992, when he was convicted for the rape of a teenage beauty queen.

He served three years of a six-year sentence. Later, in 1997, he bit a chunk out of opponent Evander Holyfield's ear.

He also has convictions for assault, cocaine possession and driving under the influence.




Mike Tyson Says He Was Sexually Abused as a Child - Boxing News

Most fighters would never dream of stepping back in the ring approaching their retirement years, but the same cannot be said of devoted boxing lover and superstar actor Mickey Rourke.

Rourke fought for two years as a professional between 1992 and 1994, winning six and drawing two, until a facial injury meant his career had to come to an end and the American hasn't fought since.

Now, after 22 years away, Rourke is lacing up the gloves once more to battle Elliot Seymour on the Ruslan Provodnikov v Jose Luis Castillo undercard in Moscow on November 29, according to Russian website Sovetsky Sports.

Starring in films such as Sin City, The Wreslter and Iron Man 2 of late, Rourke has a lifestyle most could only dream of, but finds the lure of trading punches with another man too much to back away from.

"Boxing is a very beautiful sport and honest sport and a serious part of my life," said Rourke.

"It taught me to respect, perseverance, patience and concentration and I have always wanted to fight in Russia. Thanks to Andrew Ryabinsky for the opportunity," he added.

Opponent Seymour, 29, has won just one of his ten professional contests since turning pro in 2008 and the Californian shouldn't pose too much of a threat to Rourke's undefeated record in the five-round bout.





World Boxing News - Hollywood star Mickey Rourke fights on Provodnikov v Castillo bill at 62

I am also sure that he(Manny Pacquiao) will win the match, because he is one of the greatest fighters of this era and he is really unbeatable. His reach and jab are really harmful to the opponent, i guess. Good luck to Manny Pacquiao

Mayweather vs Pacquiao is perhabst the boxing fight of the century this saturday 2nd may and I hope to see some of you make some successful bets on this one. I know I am, but if it will be successful is another story.

Anyway, on 1st and 2nd you are eligible for a special cash welcome bonus on bovada and bodog specifically for this event.

If you're not interested in the above offer you are invited to check out some of the other sportbooks we have on display on the website.

Any takers who will win this bout?

Hope you will enjoy the fight.

The morning after the fight here became yuck-it-up time. The legendary P.T. Barnum line seemed a perfect fit: There is a sucker born every minute.

Included in those suckers were the 16,507 who filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena, generating a paid gate of $74 million, all to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. outbox Manny Pacquiao in a fight about as compelling as the 405 Freeway at 8 a.m. Also right there in Barnum's pocket were the millions who paid $100 to watch on TV, and the media hordes that encouraged them to do so.

This was billed the Fight of the Century. As the Wall Street Journal so aptly put it, it's good that we have 85 years left to top it.

There was a serious and significant side to what took place Saturday night.


Read more: Letting Pacquiao fight Mayweather injured dealt damaging blow to boxing's future - LA Times

James DeGale has told Sky Sports News HQ a rematch with George Groves is "a natural fight" if his old rival wins a world title.

DeGale arrived back home on Tuesday with the IBF's super-middleweight belt after winning a points decision over Andre Dirrell in Boston at the weekend.

Groves, who four years ago handed DeGale his sole defeat as a professional, will now aim to emulate his fellow Londoner's achievement when he goes to the United States to challenge for Badou Jack's WBC title.



Read more: James DeGale targets George Groves rematch after title win | Boxing News | Sky Sports

The service took place in St Joseph’s Church, Hannahstown, followed by his burial in the adjoining cemetery.

Eamonn was stabbed to death in the Summerhill Park area of Twinbrook at around 2.30am on Saturday and was rushed to hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.

The 22-year-old was the son of former WBU welterweight world champion Eamonn Magee.

The sportsman has been described by his friends as a loveable, genuine and decent young man who had the world at his feet and great potential for a successful boxing career.


Read More: Tributes as boxing star laid to rest