Coffie Poised For HW Run, But First Must Conquer Mount Washington

By Milo Taibi

Native New Yorker and former US Marine Michael Polite-Coffie finds himself in an enviable position. At 35, he doesn’t appear to have a defined ceiling in boxing’s loaded- and lucrative- heavyweight division. 

A member of Marshall Kaufman’s King's Promotions, the former NY Golden Gloves competitor has made the most of his recent appearances on Premier Boxing Champions. A five-round beatdown of Luis Eduardo Pena cemented Coffie’s arrival on the televised boxing scene. Michael followed this appearance with an injury TKO of the grizzled Joey “Minnesota Ice” Abell. 

In February of this year, Coffie made easy work of undefeated Philadelphia heavy Darmani Rock, despite entering the bout entrenched as an underdog. Following the banner victory, Coffie had already strategized his next move. 

“I’d like to test myself against guys like a Gerald Washington, a Dominic Breazeale, a Charles Martin,” Coffie told Keith Idec of Boxing Scene. “I’d like to test myself against those kind of opponents. That would show me if I’m ready for the next step, which would be guys for the belt.”

On Saturday July 31st, Coffie’s wish will be granted in the form of an all-military clash with Gerald Washington. A veteran of the US Navy and former professional football player, Washington brings a wealth of in-ring experience despite entering the sport at a late age. 

The 25-time competitor has faced division stalwarts such as Deontay Wilder, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller and Adam Kownacki. While he’s had more defeats than successes when stepping up in class, Gerald boasts a July 2019 KO8 of Robert Helenius. It’s a stoppage that’s aged like a fine wine, as the Swede went on to score an "Upset Of The Year" contender of Adam Kownacki in March of 2020.

While Washington and Coffie are comparable in age, the former has considerably more miles on the boxing odometer. Coffie is undefeated through 12 bouts, while “El Gallo Negro” has been stopped four times...all from 2017-onward. Most recently, Washington turned in a sluggish performance against the tricky and hard-hitting southpaw Charles Martin. 

Despite this, if Washington turns up in tip-top shape, he’ll be far and away the biggest test of Coffie’s young professional career. And perhaps after a right hand or two land, Coffie will wish his call-out had been answered by Martin or Dominic Breazeale. 

Elsewhere on the undercard, New Jersey prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. will have his shot at redemption against Philly’s James Martin. In April, the 18-to-1 underdog Martin decisioned Mielnicki Jr. in stunning fashion on a televised card. 

PBC prospect Joey Spencer will also be in action, taking on the 13-fight veteran Dan Karpency. Spencer, coming off a KO1 of Isiah Seldon, will no doubt look to be the first to finish Karpency.

Editor's Note:  Michael Polite-Coffie will now face Jonathan Rice (13-6-1, 9 KOs) in the main event of Saturday's PBC boxing card. Gerald Washington was forced to withdraw from this fight after contracting COVID-19. 

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What Tyson Fury Said In 2017: Not So Crazy Now?

By Chris Mealey

A boxing fan, or even one working in the field today, may likely imagine that you need more than just skills and physical power to beat Tyson Fury. In fact, we could say that prior to Fury's last few fights, that his last opponent, Deontay Wilder, had some of the highest willpower, or 'drive' in the division of heavyweight giants. A "will to win" that was perhaps unmatched, until facing his nemesis known as the "Gypsy King" Tyson Fury. 

Fury has done what most thought was "unlikely" in dominating Deontay Wilder, stopping him in round 7 to recapture a world title for the second time in his career. With this victory, he also captured one world belt Fury had never acquired in his career, the WBC title belt.

Let's revisit a quote during a period when most of us thought the comments were somewhat of a joke, or unfathomable at the time. When the majority of the boxing world didn't believe in "the comeback" of Tyson Fury. There were fans who believed he was just "cashing out" and had minimal interest in returning for more than one big fight. A few years ago, before the two memorable bouts with Deontay Wilder, such other "crazy talk" is now to be taken seriously today. Words directed at another World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua.

Tyson Fury (2017)

I ain’t coming back to money, I tell you what I’m coming back for – to rid a fraud [Anthony Joshua] out of the heavyweight division.

I'm telling everyone now, from the bottom of my heart, I can play with that bodybuilder, no problem.

I’ll take one fight at a time, me. I like it when I’m supposed to lose, and that’s when you get the best Tyson Fury.

Let’s face it, I’ve been through depression, life and death situations, to come back against all the odds, turn it all around, get myself back in training.

When I say I’ve never been more confident, or more serious when I say something – I can play with that bodybuilder.

I mean play with him like a cat playing with a ball of wool. Hands behind my back, touching the top of my head, making a right mug of him.

If I get hit, I’ll be highly, highly disappointed if he can even land a blow on me, never mind beat me.

The fans know this tale to be something you almost only see in a Hollywood film. Fury's story is well known if you haven't heard it before. What soley went from getting back in shape, to working on his mental health and taking care of himself, has turned into one of the greatest comeback stories in boxing, arguably sports history. What was "the big two" heavyweights, has become "the big three" in Wilder, Fury and AJ.

Wether you rank Anthony Joshua, or Tyson Fury as the number one heavyweight is probably going to receive little argument. That, as well as the fact that their potential title fight being earth shattering and record breaking for both UK and world Heavyweight boxing as a whole. The other grasping visual is Tyson Fury's baffling ability to seemingly make his words a reality. The Gypsy King had stated he would take back his thrown, and as it stands now, boxing fans will think twice before doubting the two time World Heavyweight Champ. 

Photo - BoxRec.com

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Wilder vs. Fury Preview and Predictions

By Frank Bartolini

As of Sunday, less then one week before Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder, the William Hill Sports Book at Monmouth Park Race Track in Long Branch, NJ did not have prop bets posted. The moneyline had Wilder the favorite at -100 and the underdog Fury at a +100. On Tuesday, William Hill posted it's prop bets.

Two International Boxing Hall of Fame writers Nigel Collins and Bernard Fernandez weighed in on their view of the contest.

Fernandez:  If I can take Tyson Fury at his word-he claims he will meet Deontay Wilder in the center of the ring and swap haymakers and get him out of there in two rounds. That can only be a good thing for Wilder, a less slick boxer but a substantially harder hitter. Even if Fury tries to outbox Wilder over twelve rounds, that means more time for the “Bronze Bomber” to lower the boom. I’m going to call it Wilder by KO in eight rounds.

Collins:  “If switching trainers from Ben Davison to Javan Hill really does increase Fury’s punching power, the “Gypsy King” has a legitimate chance of beating Wilder. But at this stage of Fury’s career, that’s probably not possible. He is what he is. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine Fury boxing better than he did in the first fight, which would mean totally avoiding Wilder's bombs. This time the ref saves a groggy Fury after he gets up wobbly from a knockdown.

The plays on these two pundits predictions are:

Wilder to win -110

Wilder to win by KO TKO DQ +125

Will the fight go the distance:  No -140

With Bernard picking it to end within eight rounds, the under/over bet is 10.5 with under at +100

Eric Armit of England has been covering boxing for sixty years and was on this year's IBHOF ballot. Armit was in total agreement with his contemporaries  mentioned above. Hard one to predict. If Fury can stay out of trouble for twelve rounds he will win but for me Wilder will have learned more than Fury from the first fight. Wilder’s right hand will be the decider  as he stops Fury late in the fight.

Other predictions from around the world of boxing:

Sugar Ray Leonard - Wilder to win a 12 round decision.

Larry Holmes - Wilder to win by KO in round 7 or 8.

Thomas Hearns - Wilder to win a 12 round decision.

It was difficult to find anyone within the boxing community that chose Fury. Former world champions Paulie Malignaggi and Carl Frampton picked Fury, as did 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Michael Conlan.

Malignaggi:  Fury by twelve round decision. I feel like it’s going to be Fury on points. It’s a fight between the two best fighters in the weight division. The onus is Wilder making adjustments. Fury is a great boxer who can probably be better at avoiding the shot the second time around.

Frampton:  I think it’s a very difficult fight to call. Fury won the last one by a mile. I think Wilder will be more aggressive this time which will play into Fury’s hands  Wilder can win by KO at any moment but put a gun to my head and I’d say Fury by points.

Conlan:  Fury by decision. Fury needs to be even more careful this time. He looks like he’s put in some serious work and is ready to finish what he started the first time.

The plays on these boxing notables' choices:

Fury to win +100

Fury by decision or technical decision +160

Will the fight go the distance:  Yes +105

Under/Over 10.5  Over -130

Holding onto “old school” traditions this scribe will wait until the fighters hit the scales to render a selection. At that time, the Cadillac CTS will be fired up and pointed towards Monmouth Park.

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GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX "WHY IS INOUE A MONSTER? HES HUMAN LIKE ME! WILDER FURY 2 GONNA BE FIRE!"

Video by Luis A. Cortes III

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Wilder vs. Ortiz Preview

By Steve Ward

The time is fast approaching again where one may need to make the crucial decision, “Do I want to give my local cable/satellite provider $74.99 to watch Wilder vs. Ortiz II?” Before we delve into this conundrum, we must explore why you are in this predicament in the first place. Perhaps your favorite bar/pub/brewery/Hooters/imbibement palace is not showing the fight. Perhaps you don’t have any friends (I know this is harsh but, hey, it’s possible). Maybe you’ve been ostracized by your peers for following in the footsteps of my esteemed colleague Justin Dohnson and have indulged in one too many Tecates at party after party until things have gotten weird one too many times. Or maybe being the “Party Man” is just too much for people to handle – especially since this fight falls on the original Party Man’s (Matt Ward's) birthday. Whatever your dilemma may be, the bottom line is you’ve arrived at a crucial decision to make.

Let’s look at the main event first. The undefeated Bronze Bomber (41-0-1, 40 KOs) heads into this fight with his nearly untarnished record – we won’t talk about the Fury fight right now – against a man who many believe was seconds away from defeating him in their first encounter back in March 2018. One could make the argument that his opponent, Luis Ortiz (31-1-0, 26 KOs) had a potential victory thwarted by the bell in conjunction with the long leash afforded to the champ by the referee because, let’s be honest, the champ didn’t know what zip code he was in when Ortiz was bringing the fight to him in round seven of their first encounter. Unfortunately for Ortiz, he fell victim (as so many have) to “the big one” – a devastating uppercut delivered by Wilder in round ten that promptly ended the fight. 

This time around could prove to offer a different narrative. While Wilder undoubtedly has mowed through the Heavyweight Division – except for the Gypsy King – could he be underestimating and looking beyond Ortiz since this is not the fight he wants? Possibly. Rather than undermine Ortiz, I’d prefer to focus on the fact that he is one of a select few fighters who’ve ever really gotten to Wilder and taken him deep into a fight. Additionally, Ortiz appears to have taken his conditioning to a new level for this rematch and if it hasn’t hindered his power, that makes him exponentially more dangerous in my opinion. Thanks to Luis Cortes, The Weigh-In got an up close and personal look at King Kong’s media workout and he looks so primed to go, I needed to do a double take of his picture to realize it was actually him.

The card will also feature Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) attempt to become a four-division world champion as he goes toe to toe with Miguel Flores (24-2-0, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBA Super Featherweight Title. This should prove to be a more than suitable fight as the first of three title bouts on the pay-per-view card. As long as you can get past Leo’s constant wrist turning – whether it be a nervous tick, timing mechanism, tool of deception for his opponent, etc. (if you didn’t notice it before, you will now so you’re welcome) - this should prove to be an exciting title bout. 

The co-feature on the card will pit Brandon Figueroa (20-0-0, 15 KOs) as he attempts to defend his WBA Super Bantamweight Title against Julio Ceja (32-4-0, 28 KOs). Figueroa, a fighter who I supplied ringside coverage of his battle with Oscar Escandon, when they aptly stepped into the main event slot of a card that was to be headlined by Victor Ortiz and John Molina – until Ortiz found himself in a legal quandary – proved he was ready for the spotlight and he now finds himself in his third fight of 2019.

So we now return to our initial question…Is the pay-per-view worth $74.99? Unfortunately, I can’t make that decision for you. All I can tell you is this is now a time for a little self-reflection and perhaps an opportunity for you to become a bit industrious and order the fight while charging a cover to your “friends.” Nonetheless, all of the action will come to you live this Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Fox Sports pay-per-view and via the Fox Sports app for $74.99.

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Coach Larry Wade Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

While in Las Vegas for the big fight weekend, I caught up with strength and conditioning coach Larry Wade at Luis "King Kong" Ortiz's Media Day. Wade and I discussed Ortiz's upcoming fight with Deontay Wilder on November 23, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

You can stream our interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Coach Larry Wade Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

Coach Larry Wade Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

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Hart & Conto Provide Philly Flavor in Sin City

By Luis A. Cortes III

Saturday night in Las Vegas is no doubt another chance for the glamour division of the sport to bask in the spotlight of the sporting world as Tyson Fury (27-0-1) (19 KO’s) defends his lineal championship against German Tom Schwarz (24-0) (16 KO’s).  After the shocking results at Madison Square Garden that saw Andy Ruiz win portions of the heavyweight crown by knocking out the unbeaten Anthony Joshua, Saturday is a great chance for Fury to solidify his claim as the “baddest” man on the planet (a moniker which comes with being the best heavyweight in the world). 

While Fury fights for the first time since his draw against the other champion thought of as one of the best, Deontay Wilder, and begins his partnership with promotional juggernaut Top Rank, the undercard features a co-main event that easily is worthy of its own main event status when Philadelphia native Jesse Hart (25-2) (21 KO’s) battles Sullivan Barrera (22-2) (14 KO’s) in a ten round light heavyweight contest.  Also, on the undercard is heavyweight and Top Rank prospect South Philadelphia’s future real life “Rocky” Sonny Conto (2-0) (2 KO’s).

Since his last fight, a second go around defeat at the hands of former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez, Hart has continued to reinforce that it is only a matter of time before he is known as a world champion.  His quest for the super middleweight crown was well documented by this writer prior to his first clash with Ramirez in the fall of 2017.  After the close defeat, Hart regrouped with the knowledge that he was one point away from fulfilling his dream.  Three knockout victories and a year later saw Hart back in the ring with Ramirez.  It seemed entering the final rounds that Hart would clear the Ramirez hurdle, but he was hurt by an injured Ramirez and the result wound up being the same. 

With the two Ramirez fights being the only blemishes on his record, and Ramirez stating his desire to move up and join the talent loaded light heavyweight division, it was thought by many that Hart was poised to stick around the 168-pound super middleweight division and not only finally win the vacated championship by Ramirez, but in doing so would set himself up for big pay dates against some of the other talented champions and challengers in the division.

It was a bit of a shock when he told The Weigh-In directly that he was planning a move up to join the rest of the talent at 175-pounds in the light heavyweight division.  He stated that he was planning on fighting a big name in his debut and had targeted former world champion, Sergey Kovalev conqueror Eleider Alvarez.  “That division is so full of talent and now I’m going to add my name to the mix,” stated Hart.  Kudos to Hart for making the decision to not play it easy and defeat a lesser challenge to earn the championship he craves, and for chasing both greener pastures and tougher terrain at light heavyweight.

Enter Sullivan Barrera (22-2) (14 KO’s), himself a former title challenger, who like Hart only has two losses. These defeats came at the hands of future Hall of Famer Andre Ward and the current WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.  At 37 years old, Barrera has been less active than the 29-year-old Hart and struggled a bit during his last fight back in November against the durable Sean Monaghan.  Barrera seemed a bit off during the early portions of the fight, maybe it was due to disinterest because just eight months earlier he was stopped in twelve grueling rounds in his championship bid against Bivol.  Whatever it was, Barrera handled himself like the true professional and wound up battering Monaghan in route to the decision victory.

With Alvarez dropping out of the proposed fight with Hart, Barrera was the name that filled in and allowed Hart to remain as the co-feature on this big night in Vegas.  Hart is never shy to speak his mind and has traded barbs with Barrera over social media. Recently, he informed the media on his thoughts regarding this fight in career terms and Barrera.  “The 175-pound division is wide open and I’m finally ready to win that world title.  Sullivan Barrera is in my way, so I am going to smash him,” stated Hart.  Barrera is indeed a seasoned veteran, but at the age of 37, the idea that a fighter can get “old” overnight is always close by.  “After Saturday night we’re going to put him (Barrera) into retirement, you’re not going to hear from him again,” said Hart. 

Barrera puts all of that to the side and thinks its just Hart trying to avoid dealing with nerves he may be facing since he is moving up in weight. “Jesse Hart knows he’s never fought anyone like me, he is scared.  He is coming up from 168, but the punching power at 175 is not the same.  I am a different level than what he’s used to.  It’s going to be a long night for him,” remarked Barrera.

ESPN analysts, former world champions, and future Hall of Famers Timothy Bradley and Andre Ward also had interesting takes on this fight.  “I think it’s a good move for Jesse.  I thought that at 168 pounds he may have been zapping some of his strength to make the weight.  He is a big strong guy, so 175 may just be the better fit for him,” stated Bradley.  “This is going to be a good fight and is a good way to lead into the Fury fight.  Barrera is a seasoned fighter that is technically sound,” replied Ward.  Both agreed that the winner of the fight aligns himself for bigger fights and bigger purses against the rest of the division that is rich with talent.  With the champions (Kovalev, Bivol, Beterbiev, and Gvozdyk), seemingly on a collusion course to unify their titles.  If Hart can get by Barrera (who is ranked #7 in the division) he will stake his claim for a shot at one of those champions in the future.

Also, on this loaded undercard is the aforementioned heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto.  With just two fights as a professional, Conto is indeed at the prospect stage of his career.  He has the amateur pedigree that included being crowned a National Golden Gloves champion.  His stock was high enough that Top Rank signed him right away.  With both of his wins coming at home in Philadelphia in front of an adoring crowd (and Conto already has a nice size fan base at home to build off), it made sense for Top Rank to have him continue his nurturing process by taking part in a big fight week in Sin City featuring a current heavyweight champion. 

Conto was flown out to Vegas where he spent time training and sparring with Fury as well as Joseph Parker, the only man to beat Andy Ruiz.  As Conto progresses inside of the ring, it will be a bit of time before we see the 23-year-old in a meaningful fight.  Especially a fight that begins the test to see just how far he truly can go. 

Full of talent, Conto continues to progress that talent and build the foundation to handle big fight weeks and fight nights when his name will be the one in the lights.  “Sparring with a champion is great work for a young fighter.  You don’t want to be just a sparring partner though,” stated Ward.  Bradley also agreed with Ward, “Terrance Crawford spent time with me in camp before anyone knew his name.  I think for him it was just as good outside of the ring as it was in terms of the work that we gave each other.  He got to see how I handled myself as a champion and the way I dealt with my family.”  So just what does Conto think about his time sparring Fury, “It was awesome, a great experience, and priceless.”

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The Devil is in the Details: Wilder Returns to Showtime May 18th

By Luis A. Cortes III

To say that the rumors swirling around the next fight for WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (40-0-1)(39 KOs) were too many to count would be an understatement.  The biggest rumor circulating was that DAZN and Matchroom Boxing USA had offered a three fight deal worth upwards of $100 million to the Wilder camp.  When it became apparent that Wilder, who is a promotional free agent and is managed by the legendary Shelly Finkel, would not take the large offer, outcry against the champion began to occur from many boxing insiders and fans throughout the world of social media.

Involved in the proposed deal was $20 million for a first fight in May against a top contender and his mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale (21-1)(18 KOs), as well as two fights against the unified WBA/WBO/IBF champion Anthony Joshua (22-0)(21 KOs), with a reported $40 million for the first fight and a subsequent rematch being offered.  What was not accounted for was the fact that while the numbers were high and there were guarantees from the streaming service DAZN, the fights against Joshua would determine who the best heavyweight in the world is and would be tantamount to the largest business that the sport.  It would be the type of financial gain that would make past super fights like Lewis vs. Tyson look small.  These super fights between the two champions would no doubt equal a huge bump in terms of paid subscriptions to DAZN.  Something that Wilder in this first offer would not have any percentage of.

Guarantees from DAZN, while large, do not account for all the other revenue that would be generated.  Revenue from things like sponsorships, possible percentages from the purchases of pay-per-view buys, as well as the live gate.  While $80 million for two fights with Joshua sounds like a no brainer, in terms of where Wilder is as a brand name as the only current American heavyweight champion, the possibility to make more money and upwards of $50-$75 million for a single fight with Joshua, if it were broadcasted on pay-per-view, would make any fighter consider alternate routes.

DAZN, for their part will continue to broadcast title defenses from Joshua. However, until a business model is created where fighters who are not signed to Golden Boy Promotions or Matchroom Boxing can reap benefits from the revenue generated aside from a guarantee, such as the possibility of a percentage from new subscriptions generated from the announcement of the mega fight, or the monthly fee being raised from $9.99 a month to $25-$30 for the months that a Wilder-Joshua fights would be scheduled for, they will struggle to attract talent like Wilder.

With the monthly cost returning to its original $9.99 once the fights and months they are scheduled for are completed, these suggestions are just food for thought at this point and are things that will be kicked around by the brass and decision makers.  One thing is clear though, top tier champions and independent fighters like Wilder will continue to compete away from signing to streaming services if the details of super fights are not ironed out.  Wilder for his part is making it clear that like several past big named champions in the sport (Sugar Ray Leonard, Mikey Garcia, and Floyd Mayweather) is adamant that he will retain his independence from any promotional outfit, electing instead to continue to work with established relationships (PBC), unless an offer is made that he can’t refuse.

This brings us to the announcement today from Brooklyn that Wilder will indeed return to the ring on Saturday, May 18th against Breazeale.  While this seems to be a fight that can turn out to be entertaining, Breazeale, unlike Wilder's last opponent Tyson Fury does not carry a name large enough for the fight to be carried on pay-per-view.  As a result, and to the credit of Wilder, a deal was struck for the fight to be broadcasted live on Showtime.  Details of this deal have not been released, but it proves that Wilder is once again banking on himself as the premier heavyweight name (especially in America) as he continues to build his name and brand.  It’s a gamble on himself that if he continues to be victorious can pay off in the end when the eventual negotiations between the Wilder camp and Matchroom Boxing, the promoter of Joshua, start up again after Joshua’s title defense in June.

How this all plays itself out will be interesting to see.  One thing is for sure though, however this type of mega business is done to satisfy all parties involved could lead to a trickledown effect that will benefit boxing and its fans.  Other less lucrative super fights in the sport, such as Crawford-Spence or Lomachenko-Garcia, could in turn be figured out by the parties involved based off how Wilder-Joshua is eventually made.    

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Snips and Snipes with Eric Armit

By Eric Armit

It looks as though Anthony Joshua’s first fight in the USA will be against Jarrell Miller in New York on 1 June and confirmation of that is imminent. Reportedly Joshua’s purse will be his highest yet at $32 million. 

The WBC pushed the date for the purse bids for Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury back to 12 February with the parties said to be near to reaching an agreement. If the purse bidding does go ahead it will be interesting to see whether, as has been claimed, Wilder vs. Fury is a bigger fight. It is to the credit of the fighters and the Wilder/Fury people if they can come to an agreement in such a relatively short time. 

With the possibility of Dereck Chisora vs. Joseph Parker, Dillian Whyte vs. Dominic Breazeale on the cards, Joe Joyce vs. Bermane Stiverne on 23 February, and Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman all scheduled to fight in the next two months, I can’t remember the last time there was so much happening for British heavyweights. Definitely not the “horizontal heavyweights” of the past. 

It is not just British heavyweights keeping busy with Agit Kabayel 18-0 defending the European title against Andriy Rudenko 32-3 on 2 March in Magdeburg and fellow SES heavyweight unbeaten Tom Schwarz 23-0 facing 17-1 Croatian Kristijan Krstacic on the same show. 

With Alex Povetkin likely to return to action in April and Kubrat Pulev facing Robert Helenius in the USA on 23 March (but that may fall through as the main event was to be Miguel Berchelt defending the WBC super feather title against Francisco Vargas and that fight has had to be put back to May due to Berchelt injuring his left hand. 

Romanian heavyweight Christian Hammer is going where others fear to tread by taking on Luis Ortiz on 2 March it is a busy time for the heavyweights.

The WBSS is still limping along. It is a bit like a wounded animal. Is it going to be able to limp safely to the end of the current rounds involving the cruiserweights, super lightweights and bantamweights, or is it fatally wounded and destined to die out? It has been announced that the cruiserweight semi-final between Krzys Glowacki and Mairis Breidis will take place in Riga, Latvia, on 15 June but no date or venue yet for Yunier Dorticos vs. Andrew Tabiti has been announced. 

At super light, Josh Taylor vs. Ivan Baranchyk has an 18 May date in Glasgow but no information is available for Regis Prograis vs. Kiryl Relikh. 

At bantamweight, nothing advised for Zolani Tete vs. Nonito Donaire or Naoya Inoue vs.  Emmanuel Rodriguez. The quarter finals were held in October so you are looking at a gap of seven and eight months between even those fights already scheduled. It is encouraging that a couple of the six semi-finals have a date but the longer it is before the other four  are schedules the more it looks like the wound is fatal.

Gilbert Ramirez has thrown his hat into the light-heavyweight mix indicating he is targeting Sergey Kovalev and it is a sensible move as there is very little for him in staying at super middle as the WBO ratings offer very little for Ramirez in the way of a challenge. In another move he is reported to have changed his manager and his trainer.

Rob Brant is set to make the first defense of the secondary WBA middleweight title on 15 February in Hinckley against unbeaten 17-0 Russian Khasan Baysangurov. Brant will be back in his home State of Minnesota where he turned pro and had most of his early fights.

Originally set for 6 February, the WBA has reset the date for purse offers for three of their titles. Bids were due for Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Anthony Crolla at lightweight, Beibut Shumenov vs. Arsen Goulamirian at cruiser and Daniel Roman vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev at bantam but they have delayed the purse opening to 13 February. You can be sure Top Rank will decide who Lomachenko fights in April and not the WBA. 

Shumenov vs. Goulamirian will be between their secondary champion and their gold champion as they continue to try to sort out the mess they made by having more champions than titles. They solved the Denis Lebedev problem by just making him disappear. As he is not in their ratings he is probably back in the recess they put him in before. You can be sure that the gold title they invented for Goulamirian will not disappear because there are sanctioning fees to be made from it. There was a faint hope that Roman might be allowed to fight IBF champion TJ Doheny in a unification fight but that looks unlikely.

Roman vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev? If you have never heard of Murodjon Akhmadaliev let me say that he was a top level amateur but has only been a professional for less than a year. How did he become the WBA No 1 super bantamweight? Well this is another case where paying the sanctioning fee for one of their obscure minor titles can reap such rich rewards. After three six round fights in August last year, Akhmadaliev beat world No 266 Ramon Contreras from Chile for the WBA Inter-Continental title and was parachuted into the WBA ratings at No 6. In November be beat Isaac Zarate rated No 66 or 70, depending on which independent ratings you go by, and beating the No 66/70 was enough for Akhmadaliev to rise to the No 1 spot in the WBA ratings. That abomination makes a complete mockery of the very principles that should underpin ratings. In the WBA ratings a sanctioning fee trumps a win over a rated opponent every time.

Olek Gvozdyk will put his WBC light heavyweight title on the line against Doudou Ngumbu in Philadelphia on March 30. It seems that Adonis Stevenson who had to be put in an induced coma after losing the WBC title to Gvozdyk is making slow progress but it is progress. At the start of the year, he was able to speak for the first time since being hospitalized and at the end of last month he took his first unaided steps. He has a long journey and I am sure he will tackle it with the same dedication and courage he showed as a fighter. That is one journey he won’t have to make unaided as his family his team at Group Yvon Michel and his fans will all be supporting him. If Gvozdyk gets past Ngumbu there will be pressure for him to fight Marcus Browne who beat Badou Jack in a final eliminator.

Miguel Cotto is going to be busy this year. He has said that he plans to have ten shows in Puerto Rico to develop more talent.

With Saul Alvarez set to fight Daniel Jacobs in a unification match on 4 May in Las Vegas, it is obvious that the secondary WBA super middle title will fall vacant. British fighter John Ryder is rated No 1 by the WBA with Fedor Chudinov No 2 and Chris Eubank Jr No 3. Chudinov would seem the most likely opponent although there has been a suggestion that David Lemieux could be in the other corner against Ryder.

The AIBA are fighting it but it seems that the IOC’s decision to cut the number of divisions to be competed for at the Olympics is going to stand. It is a blow to the lower divisions. The weight divisions will be: 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg and +91kg. That means that instead of the four lighter divisions, 49kg, 52kg, 56kg and 60kg, there will now only be two divisions in that range.  That will be a blow to the little guys as they will all have to compete at a higher weight than in the past. That will mean a natural 49kg fighter having to compete in his national qualifiers at 52kg. It also means that there will be fewer medals available and often national funding is based on medals won previously or potential returns. It is yet another blow to boxing at the Olympics.

The Oubaali’s are another of boxing’s fighting families. Not surprising in their case. Nordine who won the WBC bantamweight title last month is the 13^th of the 18 children in the family. Elder brother Ali lost only three of his 29 fights but unfortunately they were all in title fights. Now younger brother Messaoud is turning pro with his first bout scheduled for April. Ali and Nordine founded and run a gym in Deauviller with Olympic champion Estelle Mossely being one of their discoveries.

There are still rumors of a return to action by Marcos Maidana. A few weeks back he seemed to indicate he was about to return but then he indicated he was only joking. Now he says there have been people talking about fights for him and he is training. What is certain is that Omar Narvaez will return to the ring. Now 43 he is targeting March for his first fight.

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