23/09/2012 In instant classic, Burns v Mitchell

Last night saw two friends who turned enemies for one bout, and what an encounter it was. It always had the making of an instant classic, it was a shame that it was over by round four. Both men came out strong and punches started flying very early on. Kevin Mitchell was determined to show his Boxing ability that he showed the world against Prescott, the problem he had was Ricky Burns was always going to be a tough test due to the size and power he offers.

Mitchell came out of round one on top, he landed the better of the shots and looked the more positive, but that all turned in round two when Burns hit the Londoner with a terrific straight but it was taken and soaked up. Heading into round three the crowd were pumping and Burns seemed to feed of this energy, he settled his nerves and came on much stronger, Mitchell looked happy to stand and trade punches but knew he couldn't afford to get caught with one of Burns big left shots.

After a round that saw both fighters taking quite a bit of punishment, combinations and chest pounding, it was poised going round four. Huge shots came from Burns and Mitchell tried to match but unfortunately the Scot was to strong and caught Mitchell on the chin with an incredible left hook that saw him crash to the floor. As the crowd raised to their feet so did Mitchell, but not for long. As Burns sensed the end was near he continued to unload shots and Mitchell was down again. With just under 40 seconds left Mitchell could do nothing but try and hold on to the bell, but with one second left of the round the referee had seen enough and had to step in.

Mitchell was obviously disappointed with the stoppage but so would most Boxers be, for me it was the right call and stopped any further damage caused to Mitchell. It leaves Burns in a great position for the next opponent, Scott Harrison who also picked up a win last night has confirmed he would like the winner, but Burns may just look for a bigger pay day. With Champions Demarco and Vazquez in the same division Burns may look to try and add another belt to his WBO Championship.

We may even see Burns step up to Jr Welterweight due to his size, and we know the calibre of fighters in this division. As for Mitchell he may have to start looking elsewhere in the division for another fight but with an impressive record of only two losses that shouldn't be too hard. Its great to have some great British Lightweights amongst the Division, and i think we can now say that Burns stands above them all.

22/09/12 Burns v Mitchell

Tonight sees the clash of two of Britains best lightweights as Ricky Burns puts his WBO title on the line against Londoner Kevin Mitchell. With just two years and 4 oz separating these fighters, this is shaping up to be one of the all time classics. Mitchell has lost only once in his career to Michael Katsidis and will now stand as very tough opposition for the Scotsman. Burns has two losses on his career but has stepped into the ring more times.

Mitchell has had a rough journey over the last few years since the break up of his marriage but then went on to beat John Murray and has not looked back since. For me Mitchell is the best he has ever been and Burns will find it tough to break him down. Mitchells movement and combination work seems to have improved greatly, but Burns will be fully aware of what Mitchell brings to this bout and will have a game plan of his own.

Burns was gifted the WBO belt when Juan Marquez decided to step up in weight, but he looks as if he has always been a champion. with a great mix of strength, punching power and agility Burns rightfully stands top of the tree and is defiantly the man to beat. Having the fight in his own back yard will be a huge advantage for Burns but you will be sure to hear the 1500 travelling fans of Mitchell im sure.

This match offers everything and should not be missed, it promises to be one of the best all British fights in many years. My heart tells me it will be Mitchells crowning moment, but my head tells me Burns will remain the man to beat.

17/09/2012 'Canelo' now ready for the elite

 

This past Saturday saw an incredible Boxing display from the young Mexican, 'Canelo' Alvarez never looked troubled against Josesito Lopez. It was a very one sided affair that saw Alvarez take another step closer to that big fight he is in pursue of.

From the opening bell Alvarez found his rhythm and wasn't going to be stopped, standing strong in the middle of the ring he worked the jab and opened with some incredible combinations when Lopez gave dropped his guard. I think even the man he was due to fight originally Paul Williams looked on impressed with what he was witnessing. Victor Ortiz was also in attendance and I'm sure relived at times that it was Lopez in the ring with Alvarez and not him.

The first knock down came courtesy of an incredible left hook to the body that shook Lopez and forced him to hit the canvas and take a standing count, the fight could have been over then but luckily for Lopez he was saved by the bell. It was a familiar story as the bout continued with some unstoppable shots to the body Lopez at times could only cover up and try and find an opening. But that opening never came and as much as Lopez threw his own combos, Alvarez shrugged them off and concentrated on the task in hand, it was in round 5 with only seconds left in the round when referee Joe Cortez stepped in as he had seen enough.

It was the right decision as the fight was only ever heading in one direction. It now leaves Canelo with a few options ahead of him, all of them very big opportunities. One option is a mega fight with Miguel Cotto who himself fights in December, the other is Manny Pacquiao who is currently undecided on his opponent for later this year. Ultimately the match he wants and everyone else is crying out to see is that with P4P king Floyd Mayweather. Although right now it seems very early for that showdown its a fight that is defiantly on the cards for the future.

A special mention goes to hall of fame referee Joe Cortez who decided last night he would hang up his gear and no longer officiate another bout. It was an incredible performance by Alvarez leaving Cortez stopping his very last fight in only round 5.

13/09/2012 50 Cent and Pacquiao join forces

It has been confirmed that 50 cent (curtis jackson) will no longer be teaming up with Floyd Mayweather and will now be moving on to join forces with Manny Pacquiaos promotional group.
It was reported earlier this week that there was friction between The Money Team, and confrontation between Mayweather and Jackson have caused both to part ways with each other.

Jackson confirmed that they are still good friends, but he has just as much money as him and he didnt need this. It would seem that Mayweather likes no one being bigger than him and 50 was heading that way. With some great fighters already signed to the TMT label it will be interesting to see who goes where when this deal with Pacquiao is finalised.

13/09/2012 Pacquiao rematch with Marquez, Cotto, Bradley?

Who will Manny Pacquiao be fighting at the end of the year, it looks to be one of three men, Miguel Cotto, a rematch with Timothy Bradley or Juan Marquez. The most likely opponent seems to be Marquez in a rematch for the fourth time, but its not necessarily the right decision. Regardless to what happened in their previous encounter, there is no way Bradley would risk losing the rematch, especially when he didn't win their first battle. Cotto would be the logical choice as he is probably the most ready, after taking on Floyd Mayweather and proving he can mix it up with the best he would no doubt cause many problems this time round for the Pacman.

I'm not as unhappy as most about the announcement of a potential fourth showdown between Pacquiao and Marquez and this is purely because of the incredible fights they have produced in the past. For me Marquez would need to win this fight and if not probably hang up his gloves, many people including Marquez himself thought he had beaten Pacquiao in two of their three fights and if he was to lose again he may feel there is no reason to continue.

I would have loved to seen a rematch with Bradley but this is simply to set the records straight as i and many others had Pacqiuao winning this fight (revenge for the Marquez encounters i guess).

Lets hope who ever the Pacquiao camp chose to take on it matches up to some of the recent fights Pacquiao has been involved in and hopefully lead him on to a bigger fight....Mayweather anyone?

13/09/2012 Everyone loves a comeback story...

Ricky Hatton is just a 'yes' away from stepping back in the ring in November and being handed a license to Box again. Hatton 33 is just awaiting a response as regards his medical tests and after meeting with the British Boxing Board of control on Wednesday is hoping all comes back positive.

Secretary of the BBBC Robert Smith confirms once the results are in, the BBBC doctors will look at the tests and they can then make their decision. Rumours have spread more and more since reports that the hitman was make a conscious effort to get fit again and lose alot of weight.

There is no conformation around who Hatton will be facing if the fight goes ahead, one things for sure he will want to forget in 2009 against Manny Pacquiao and look to get his career back on winning ways. Names like Paulie Magilinaggi and Junior Witter have been mentioned so far, but i cant see Hatton jumping straight back in such a big fight after being out of the game for a while. His Ultimate goal will be to work his way back up the Welterweight division, how far he will go is anyones guess, it will all depend on how serious he is about this come back.

09/09/2012 Ward v Dawson, incredible display

An eargerly anticipated match up between two of the finest boxers on the planet right now, Andre ward and Chad Dawson produced a great fight and answer any critics over Andre Wards ability.
It was an encounter that was scheduled at 168pds, a weight that Ward has dominated over the last few years. Dawson had to drop down from his usual light heavyweight division and this seemed to have an overall effect on him when the fight neared the end.

Dawson started off the bout great and looked to be getting the better of Ward, but Ward specializes in figuring out his opponents strengths and stopping them. This was the case here, as Ward realised fighting on the inside of Dawson would reduce his range and automatically cause a few problems for the taller man. As the fight progressed Ward took more and more control and was putting together some great combinations. It all eventually become to much for Dawson as he hit the canvas in round ten and as he rose to his feet he was asked if he was good to continue, and he simply said no.

It is another huge win Ward can add to his impressive record, he has no doubt cemented his place at the top of that weight. Much criticism over the way Ward goes in with his head when taking on his opponents still hovered over as the fight went on, there was times i watched on and thought that surely what he was doing should be stopped. But unless the official steps in he will continue to do it, and as there was no real complaint from Dawson i guess everyone was ok with it.

Yes Ward comes to spoil fights, theres no Boxer out there that hasn't once had to dig deep or change a tactic or two to pick up a win. But for every time Ward spoils a round, he produces an incredible round of skill and ability straight after. I still think a rematch with Carl Froch shouldn't be forgotten, as Froch could cause Ward problems and proved that at times. But right now, with Floyd Mayweather just coming out of prison and Manny Pacqiuao's loss to Bradley and mixed emotions over his next fight, surely this leaves Ward right at the top as the best pound for pound Boxer in the world?