Khan vs Gethin in the works
30.09.08
Undefeated Martin Gethin, the English and Midlands Area champion looks to be favourite to face Amir Khan in December.
After reeling off two cracking wins inside the distance recently, he could be a big banana skin for the shaken Khan to return to the ring against.
Although lacking the amateur pedigree of Khan, Gethin TKO'd Nadeem Siddique in July this year whom was a former England team captain and an unbeaten Ingle gym fighter.
But his last win has catapulted him to the top of the British lightweight club. Starting as a big underdog, Gethin pulled off an upset win of the slick stylist from Sheffield, John Fewkes.
Gethin, speaking to the Mercury, made the following assertion on a possible match up with the fallen Bolton starlet :-
“Khan’s a fast bloke but I think I could break through him like I did against Nadeem Siddique and John Fewkes.
Standing at 5'6, the Walsall warrior from Errol Johnson's gym would be the shorter man when compared to 5'10 Khan, but carries more power than his 7ko wins from 15 fight's suggests.
Gethin in action against Fewkes:-
Froch: I'm gonna beat Pascal Sparta-Style !
27.08.09
AT last, the dream is nearly realised, the prestigious green World Boxing Council belt is finally within my grasp!
My promoter, Mick Hennessy has announced that on December 6 it's going to be 'boot-smoking time' at the Nottingham Trent FM Arena again as yours truly will be stepping into the ring to make history as the city's first WBC super middleweight champion of the world against Canada's unbeaten Jean Pascal.
I've been in training for 20 years for this moment. From the day I laced up and had my first fight I have dreamed of one day emulating my boxing heroes and winning the world title. Well I'm 31 now and am ready to destroy my opponent Sparta-style.
I'm not taking the French-Canadian lightly though. Despite being younger than me (he'll be 26 in October) he is also shorter at 5ft 11in. He is a gold medal winner at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester (he beat Contender star Paul Smith in the final) and is a seven-time Canadian amateur champion with an amateur record of 103-18.
His professional record stands at 21-0 with 14ko's.
He knows the sort of fire-power I carry and I expect him to try and outbox me over the distance, as even he knows it would be suicide for him to get macho with the Cobra.
He's got no idea of the hidden gears I have up my sleeve should he want to box a little.
But on the night he won't be deciding how were going to fight, that decision will be left to me. My height, reach and overall strength will be a big surprise to him as it has been to the others beforehand.
Once I land, their game plan goes out the window, closely followed by their courage.
In the past, I have lacked motivation against the likes of late substitute Rybacki and was only 70% fit against Robin Reid following my knee surgery on account of being unable to jog, let alone run.
But I'm 100% fit and strong and have already been ticking over nicely during the last month or so, readying myself for what I expect to be one of my best training camps to date.
The reason will be for the first time I will have that much-needed motivation in front of me, I will have an unbeaten opponent to claim for myself. I have the chance to make Nottingham proud and to give the United Kingdom yet another boxing champion and an early Christmas present for my trophy cabinet.
But the good news doesn't end there. The fight is set to be fought on ITV1 'prime time', so no pay-per-view charges to worry about. All my loyal fans can see me fight on their doorstep at the fabulous Trent FM Arena, and the armchair fans can watch me take centre stage in front of a potential TV audience of millions.
Over the years, British terrestrial television has made superstars of the likes of Frank Bruno, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn.
The public decline of boxing may be attributed to the fact that the best fights now seem only to be available on pay-per-view.
It's a shame that some of the greatest fighters in our sport today are relatively unknown to the man in the street. But hopefully this fantastic deal that Hennessy Sports has secured with ITV over the next two years will show the general public how exciting a well-matched 50/50 fight can be.
For too long the armchair boxing viewer has sustained some real mediocre mismatches over the last few years. I have been bored to tears by some of the cannon fodder served up as an 'opponent'.
At last they will see two genuine unbeaten, big-punching fighters. It's gonna be brutal and it's a good thing it will be after the watershed. When that opening bell rings, don't blink because there's gonna be some Cobra-bombs flying.
Carl Froch Official Site HERE
Calzaghe vs Warren
27.09.08
Following Calzaghe's recent claim that his former promoter Frank Warren 'kept him in shackles' has now seen a formal response to the accusation by Warren in his The Sun newspaper column.
In a weekend that should be concentrating on Calzaghe vacating his WBO world title and his impending fight with Roy Jones junior, the attentsion has now shifted to their rapidly disintegrating former 'friendship' as dark revelations of Calzaghe ducking opponents and an overall lack of commitment to his career.
Warren claims he lost massive sums of cash as Joe found excuse after excuse not to participate in genuine title fights:-
"Once I had to pay opponents cash up front before they would sign a contract because they were afraid of going through weeks of training camps for nothing if he pulled out.
"I worked with US TV network Showtime, and they nicknamed Calzaghe ‘No Show Joe’, not least because of the pullouts and the fact he’d refuse to travel to the States to promote his fights.
"I lost $100,000 to Glen Johnson when Joe pulled out of a world-title fight with him for a second time. This the same Johnson who KO’d Jones four years ago" said Warren in his Sun newspaper column.
Going on to underline Calzaghe's reluctance to fight the very best, in favour of beating up weak opponents, Warren revealed that even the unknown Freeman Barr was prefered to the likes of Johnson:-
"I recall that when I vetoed a fight with Freeman Barr, a dreadful mediocre No 1 mandatory challenger who meant nothing, Joe said that he wanted to face him."
Warren also seemed to share the same opinion as the general boxing public in his assessment of the decision by Calzaghe to fight the 40-year old version of Roy Jones:-
"I preferred the Pavlik fight as Jones is way past his best.
In the 2008 latest edition of his autobiography, Joe states Jones is ‘washed up’ and in an interview in Boxing Monthly said he had ‘no interest’ in fighting Jones.
Now he is trying to make out Jones will provide a legitimate challenge.
Jones will probably get on his bike against Calzaghe — Joe struggles against runners. I believe I could have got Calzaghe far more money than he managed to secure himself.
He agreed a 50-50 purse split with Jones. Roy must have thought he had won the lottery.
After Joe beat Hopkins, HBO pay-per-view exec Mark Taffett told me they didn’t care who he fought next — Calzaghe was the No 1, not Jones or Pavlik.
Over-the-hill Jones brought hardly a thing to the table — and certainly not 50 per cent. A fight against Pavlik, which Arum had agreed, would have done far more for Calzaghe’s legacy. "
Discuss in Forum HERE
Canadian fans get Tarver v Dawson on TV
EDMONTON, AB September 25, 2008 - It's one of the most talked about boxing broadcasts of the year, and Super Channel is the only place Canadian fight fans can catch it.
On October 11, Las Vegas, Nevada and Berlin, Germany serve as the respective battlegrounds in a night of boxing action that could very well be the best TV card of the year as IBF Light Heavyweight champion Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver (27-4, 19 KO's) defends his crown against undefeated ex-champion "Bad" Chad Dawson (26-0, 17 KO's), and WBC Heavyweight champion Sam Peter (30-1, 23 KO's) puts his title up for grabs against former WBC champion Vitali Klitschko (35-2, 34 KO's).
All the action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Super Channel.
"Super Channel is fast becoming the ultimate destination for Canadian fight fans," said Sandy Perkins Super Channel, Vice president, Programming. "It is a superb live offer and another great example of how we are offering our subscribers coast-to-coast programming they've never had access to before."
Dawson, who dethroned Tomasz Adamek for the WBC belt in February of 2007 before notching three successful defenses, believes that Tarver's best days are behind him.
"I come into every fight in tremendous shape. There's nothing that Antonio Tarver does that can throw me off my game plan," Dawson said. "He's slow, he's old. Come on, look at my last three performances and look at his and tell me who the better fighter is."
According to Tarver, Dawson indeed has youth on his side, but it's not holding the defending champion in good stead.
"(Dawson) is very naïve, a guy that is very young, obviously, mentally," Tarver said of Dawson. "(Many) have come and tried to conquer and have tried to take me out. It has never been done before and it won't get done on Oct. 11. All this guy is hoping for is that I show up less then prepared. They are looking to roll the dice and get lucky. That's it, bottom line. But I'm here to tell you, I'm here to put the world on notice that it won't happen."
While the light heavyweight division is alive with vibrant contenders and champions like Tarver and Dawson throughout its top ten, the heavyweight division is looking for a definitive statement, and many feel the winner of Peter-Klitschko will provide boxing fans just that.
Peter claimed the full-fledged WBC heavyweight crown with a sixth round TKO over Oleg Maskaev in March of this year, and is looking at not only taking out Vitali, who is coming out of a nearly four year hiatus, but eventually Klitschko's younger brother, IBF champion Wladimir.
"I want to send Vitali back into retirement, and then end his brother's reign as champion," boasted Peter. "I will become the first fighter to end an entire family's boxing career. Everyone is going down. The heavyweight division is mine."
About Super Channel:-
Super Channel is Canada's national pay television network, consisting of two new HD channels, four new SD channels, and an SVOD platform.
Super Channel's vision is to expand the Canadian premium TV experience by offering a broad range of fresh, entertaining movies and series. Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment, an Edmonton-based media company.
Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Star Choice, Rogers PersonalTV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Mountain Cablevision, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus and EastLink.
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Jono Thaxton to fight on ITV4
24.09.08
Thaxton kicks off exciting new ITV series
Jon Thaxton is promising to show why he can still become a genuine world title contender when he boxes Juan Carlos Diaz Melero for the vacant European Lightweight Title at Norfolk Showground in Norwich on Saturday, 4th October 2008.
The former British champion last fought in a European Title fight and after a courageous effort the Norwich boxer was stopped by a nasty cut over his right eye that needed 12 stitches against world top ten ranked Yuri Romanov (Russia) at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.
Six months on from his last European challenge, promoter Mick Hennessy has presented Thaxton with another chance to win the coveted crown, this time in his home city and live on ITV4.
Melero (36-1, Spain) gave Romanov a scare when he floored the Russian before being stopped himself in the third round two years ago.
Jono is aware of Melero's danger but is confident he will have an answer to anything his co-challenger brings and get the win to gatecrash the world title scene next year.
"Damn right, I have got a point to prove against Melero," said Thaxton (33-8), who made two defences of his British Title before relinquishing it earlier this year.
"I hate getting beaten and am determined to put it right this time in front of my home fans in Norwich and in front of a big TV audience on ITV4.
"I got off to a pretty bad start, but by the fourth or fifth rounds I felt like I was coming into my own against Romanov. The corner stopped the fight because of the cut and at the time I was upset about it, but of course it was the right thing to do.
"Now I've got a second chance I intend to take it because you don't get many second chances in life. I've left no stone unturned for this fight and that's why I've got the likes of Junior Witter in for sparring.
"I've got a point to prove and I will prove it. Forget about last time – I was slow and I had a bad night. But this one will be different.
"Melero had Romanov down before Romanov came back to stop him, but Romanov never put me down. Melero is a very capable boxer and he's adaptable, but we've prepared for every situation."
The 'Let's Be Having You' show is the first promotion of the new season from Hennessy Sports, whose shows will now be screened by ITV Sport.
“Let’s be having you”
European Lightweight Title
Tickets on sale now
Jon Thaxton vs Juan Carlos Diaz Melero
Hennessy Sports are proud to announce tickets for Norfolk Showground, Norwich Saturday 4th October 2008 now on sale via Ticketmaster box office
TEL:
0870 060 1795
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
24hr hotline
£30 Unreserved seating
£40 Outer Ringside reserved seating
£60 Ringside reserved seating
WWW.HENNESSYSPORTS.COM
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Roach tells media 'I will rebuild Khan'
22.09.08
Freddie Roach has disclosed to talksport that he will be the new trainer for Amir Khan ahead of his return to the ring in December, after KO defeat to Breidis Prescott.
The announcement by Roach followed a trip to see the triple 'trainer of the year' by Amir and his advisor's.
"We're going to fight in December and he's going to train here (at Roach's Wildcard gym) for six weeks for that fight."
"He needs a rebuilding of everything to be honest with you, because sometimes when you get knocked out like that it can be pretty devastating."
"But you need to get right back at it and not waste any time. He's making a few fundamental mistakes and we'll make some adjustments." He said of flaws he spotted during Amir's visit.
"He's a very talented kid and he's capable of making those adjustments."
Discuss in FORUM HERE
Ricky Hatton gets his Reliant Robin fixed on TV
22.09.08
Ricky 'hitman' Hatton featured on a recent episode of the UK's Fifth Gear television programme. Amongst getting his old 'Only Fools & Horses' TV show Reliant Robin car fixed, he talks about his current fight and his thoughts on a Floyd Mayweather rematch.
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Derry Matthews suffered broken hand, nose and eye socket
22.09.08
Brave 24 year old Derry Mathews has declared that his 'lottery punch' loss to Belfast man Martin Lindsay will not stop him achieving his dreams in the future.
However, the injuries sustained following that loss may take the rest of the year to recover from.
Derry was diagnosed at the hospital afterwards with a broken left hand, a badly broken nose and broken left eye socket.
Lindsay also damaged his hands and cracked two ribs.
Speaking to http://www.icliverpool.co.uk, Derry had the following to say :-
"I had him. I was just one more round away from fighting for the Lonsdale Belt – the referee told me so.
"I'm heartbroken. I felt like I won every round. I was telling George (Vaughan) in the corner not to worry. I was in full control and my game plan worked perfectly.
"My preparation for this fight was brilliant. He just caught me with a 'lottery punch'.
"I really wanted to put on a show for the fans who had travelled all that way and also for my new promoters, Hayemaker (David Haye & Adam Booth). It was a great fight and I remember thinking everyone would be loving it because we both gave our all. But I was winning it easily enough.
"I just can't believe it. I was so close to the victory."
"We were talking at the hospital and he accepted he was well down on points and losing the fight. His corner team was telling him he needed the knockout.
"He had to gamble on throwing big shots and that left hook, which I'd been reading all night, just caught me at the worst possible time."
"I said to him afterwards that I would happily help him out with sparring before he fights for the British title, but he said he never ever wants to get into a ring with me again, not even for sparring !"
discuss in FORUM HERE
