The Road to Undisputed Lightweight King Begins

By Luis A. Cortes III

On Saturday night from Temecula California, Top Rank Promotions and ESPN (10 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) will broadcast a fight card that’s main event will feature the beginning of the path towards an undisputed king.  The quest for lightweight supremacy begins as IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2, 22 KO’s) defends his title for the first time against former world champion and grizzled veteran Ray Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KO’s).  When Mikey Garcia decided to vacate the WBC portion of the lightweight crown back in April after his loss to welterweight champion Errol Spence, it meant that the biggest fight in the division between Garcia and the WBA/WBO champion Vasiliy Lomachenko would have to once again be placed on hold.

With Garcia now set to face Danny Garcia at welterweight, it meant that the division could now move on from the unification fight between Garcia and Lomachenko and allow for the rest of the world class talent a chance to stake their claim as the king of the talent rich division.  Lomachenko (a top pound-for-pound fighter) and already a unified champion in the division is clearly the proverbial favorite to be the last man standing when the dust settles.  This brings us back to what will take place this weekend between Commey and Beltran. 

Commey, the hard-punching champion from Ghana, won the IBF portion of the crown in February when he blasted Isa Chaniev with power shots in two rounds to earn the knockout win.  It was supposed to have set up Commey with the chance to unify his titles with Lomachenko in April.  However, due to a hand injury sustained during his title winning victory, it caused a need for surgery and Lomachenko to look elsewhere for his next opponent.

Beltran himself has had to navigate a twisting path towards this opportunity to have his name listed as the divisions king.  It was just last year that Beltran, after a long career that had seen its ups and downs, finally captured a world championship when he defeated Paulus Moses.  In his first defense of the WBO title in August, he dropped a decision to Puerto Rico’s Jose Pedraza.  Going into that fight (like the Commey situation this year), it was believed that with the victory over Pedraza, Beltran would be next in line for Lomachenko and the seven-figure payday that accompanies that type of fight.  Unfortunately for Beltran, Pedraza not only won the WBO title but would get the fight last December with Lomachenko.  With a comeback knockout victory last February, Beltran has now placed himself into a prime position to challenge Commey for another portion of the lightweight crown.   

“Being a world champion is great.  I went back home, and everyone welcomed me at the airport.  It was like a hero’s welcome, it was unbelievable,” stated Commey during the final press conference this week.  “I never try and knock out my opponent.  It comes when it comes.  I believe he’s a strong guy, a tough guy, and so am I.  It’s going to be a good fight, but I’m the champion, and I’m going to keep my belt.”

It’s clear that Commey has taken to the role of favorite for this fight as the champion, but for Beltran being an underdog is par for the course for him at this point in his twenty-year career.  “I feel like I made it the hard way.  Even when the sport or boxing world didn’t believe in me, that’s when I had to believe in myself,” expressed Beltran.  “Nobody gave me an opportunity, I had to go and take it.  I became a world champion and I am fighting for another world title.  It’s not about if people believe in you.  You must believe in yourself.”

Both fighters are clearly focused on the task at hand and through their words one can tell that they are not taking this opportunity to prove that they are elite lightly.  Having both missed out on an opportunity to fight for bigger fight purses, each fighter clearly is aware what victory and defeat can mean to their careers.  What should also be promising for fans is the fact that both men are hard nosed both in their approach to the sport in terms of preparation, but also in how they fight inside of the ring.  They do not shy away from trying to find their opponents and are happy to exchange power shots to inflict punishment.  In other words, get ready for a fight that has the potential to provide fireworks and bombs for as long as the warfare lasts. 

With a fight between the sport’s top young sensation lightweight Teofimo Lopez and veteran Masayoshi Nakatani scheduled for July 19^th as an IBF title eliminator, whoever survives the fight on Friday night and steps out of the ring with the IBF title will have his eyes focused on that ring in July.  In fact, Lopez will have his eyes on the ring Friday since he is scheduled to be in California to watch Commey and Beltran do battle from ringside. 

Lopez has not been shy about wanting to prove to the world that his days as “top prospect” are behind him.  He has been vocal in calling out the unified champion Lomachenko and with this road to crowning an undisputed lightweight king getting underway.  Lopez will have his chance with just two victories during the remainder of the year to not only fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion, but also, to put himself in the prime position to challenge Lomachenko to become undisputed champion.

A wild card has been thrown into the mix since there still is that issue of the WBC title being vacant.  While it seemed that Luke Campbell, the former 2012 Olympian, would somehow be involved as one of the fighters with top contender status in the WBC rankings, what became interesting was that the WBC named Lomachenko also as a top contender in their rankings despite holding two other portions of the crown.  As a result, there have been plenty of news circulating that a unification fight between Campbell and Lomachenko tentatively scheduled for late August in London is all but set.  Campbell could walk into a London ring with no titles, and if he were to pull off the mega upset, would walk out of that ring with three of the four portions of the undisputed lightweight crown. 

However, if all goes as expected late this summer across the pond, Lomachenko will add that WBC title to the other two portions of the crown he already holds and will await the fighter who survives this small tournament that gets underway Friday night to decide the IBF title.  Whichever way things will pan out in the division, by this time next year, barring any drastic changes or outside of the ring mishaps, fans of the sport should be happy to know that finally a talent rich division will have the elite champions and contenders fight to crown one undisputed king at lightweight. 

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Mikey Garcia Reaches for Greatness

By Luis A. Cortes III

Throughout the promotional build up for the mega showdown between IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence (24-0)(21 KO’s) and current WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia (39-0)(30 KO’s), the common theme has been that Garcia is simply put too small to contend with Spence.  Granted Garcia, while going for a world championship in a fifth weight class, will be jumping up two weight classes from where he currently holds a championship.  Garcia has fought at the 140-pound limit before, winning the IBF version of the championship, and while Spence will indeed be the biggest natural fighter that Garcia has ever faced, he is an experienced fighter that has been across the ring from every type of fighter that you can think of stylistically.

It’s this type of experience that Garcia believes will guide him to victory over the supremely talented Spence.  Six years ago, while still fighting under the Top Rank promotional banner, Garcia took on Juan Manuel Lopez for a portion of the featherweight title.  Garcia was defending his title but wound up losing his title on the weight scale when he failed to make weight.  While the fight went on (ironically in Dallas), Garcia wound up re-hydrating 14 pounds over night and entered the ring the much larger man at 142 pounds.  Since that fight, over the next six years, Garcia has consistently taken on tough challenges as his career continued to rise both in the pound-for-pound rankings and heavier weight divisions. 

Having flirted with the welterweight division before competing against a couple of naturally bigger fighters at 140 pounds, Garcia recognized an opportunity to fight the current welterweight champion that many within the boxing industry have dubbed the next great champion.  Spence presents not just the biggest challenge in terms of physical size, but it’s also the type of challenge that will plant Garcia atop the pound-for-pound tree of the best fighters in the world.

For this challenge, Garcia enlisted the help of SNAC (Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning) to help his body, gain the proper type of strength for this monumental challenge.  “We had to build more mass, a little more muscle, leading up to this fight.  But we don’t want to compete against Errol with just size and muscle.  I want to use my other talents.  I want to use my other attributes, like my speed, reaction time, my explosiveness,” Stated Garcia during a recent phone interview.  It’s that type of skill set that has gotten Garcia to this point in his career. 

Garcia throughout his career has established himself as a fighter with some of the best timing during a fight.  He may not have the most powerful jab, the fastest jab, but he knows exactly when to throw it.  His foot movements along with the jab have helped him to control both the pace of the fight and the range.  The fact that he has been able to do this against every style he has faced thus far makes it even more impressive.

“We want to make sure that we kept all of my feet and muscle work and I feel very good with the results.  We had a great training camp and I don’t think the size is what I’m going to be using.  So that’s what we have focused on and making sure that everything else was done in the right way,” stated Garcia.  This is what makes this fight such an intriguing matchup.  We will find out just how much all of the work with SNAC in order to truly gain the right type of size to compete with Spence will translate into the actual fight. 

“We had to make adjustments, we had to figure out how to use my range and my timing against a bigger guy, against a left-handed fighter.”  Garcia also went on to mention that before the boxing training took over this camp, and he was still working with SNAC, his weight got up to 160 pounds.  It was the work back at his brother's boxing gym that helped him to shed the extra pounds of muscle and to get his weight back to the welterweight division.  While Spence will be taking fight week to make weight getting the extra pounds off and re-hydrating once the limit is met, Garcia will most likely only gain a couple of pounds between the weigh-in and the start of round one.     

Granted, Errol Spence is indeed the biggest fighter Garcia has ever faced when they fight.  However, size doesn’t always mean victory.  Even if the size is accompanied by a tremendous body attack and the type of power that any fighter would love to possess, skills and a high ring I.Q. also have their place in boxing, especially when you are dealing with fighters on this, the highest level of the sport. 

Garcia will look to establish the range against Spence with his well-timed jab.  It’s his jab along with a hard-right hand after he pivots to his left to avoid the return punch from Spence that Garcia will use early to score and warm up in the fight.  If he can land his hard jab consistently on Spence, whom for his part has never really shown that he naturally moves his head as he moves forward, he may be able to start to lock up Spence’s neck and this can have the same effect on an opponent that a vicious body attack can.

If Garcia sees this working in his favor and he is controlling the range and dictating the pace of the fight, look for him to start trying to get inside of the longer arms of Spence and once on the inside rip power punches on angles.  It’s the common opinion of many experts and boxing insiders that Spence’s body attack, hard left hands, and good right jab will not allow any of this to play out in Garcia’s favor.  Although this may be the case, the whole world of boxing agrees about one thing:  Garcia reaching out to take on this challenge to cement his legacy in the sport is something that makes the sport so unique from every other one.  It’s the reason why people are true fanatics of the sport, because we all enjoy witnessing when a fighter like Garcia reaches for greatness. 

Garcia vs. Spence: Fight Predictions

By Luis A. Cortes III

With the big fight between two of the top pound-for-pound ranked champions taking place this weekend in Dallas, TWI reached out to different members from the world of boxing to get their take on what is going to go down in the Lone Star state. 

Ray McCline – Atlantic City Hall of Fame

I love Mikey, but I just think Spence is going to be too big for him.  Spence does get hit, to try and counter with his excellent body work.  Mikey will score on Spence and it will be a close fight, but I think the size and power of Spence gets him the win. 

Joey Eye – Cutman

For some reason I like Mikey in this fight.  Garcia on points. 

Bozy Ennis – Trainer

Its not going to be easy for Errol and people are counting Mikey out.  Not me, he has a real good chance even though people are looking at the size factor.  I think Mikey can pull it out. 

Stitch Duran – Cutman

I don’t like to make predictions.  I’m horrible at it and as a cutman, I look to see who has the possibility of getting cut or swollen.  I think both fighters will be okay, and it shouldn’t be a problem in the fight. 

Stephen Bird – Lineal TV (England)

Mikey by decision

Catherine Lebron – Kings Promotions

50/50 fight, but I’m going with Spence.  Mikey is flat footed; Spence is going to aggravate him with his skills.  Spence by unanimous decision. 

Jeremy Cuevas – Lightweight

I think Garcia can outbox and outsmart Spence.  Make him miss and make him pay.  Garcia on points. 

Kelly Pavlik – Former middleweight King

I got it a 50/50!  This is one of them fights I just want to chill and watch.

Jason Gonzalez – Writer

Errol wins by decision

Gene Pantalone – Writer

A good big guy beats a good smaller guy, unless he is another Duran.  Should be a great fun fight to watch.  Spence wins by decision.

Thomas LaManna – Jr. Middleweight

Mikey has underrated footwork and timing.  He creates the space very well, in a way that people don’t notice.  I think Spence is very slow and Mikey will use his size disadvantage and turn it into an advantage.  So, I’m going with Garcia, size matters, but skills pay the bills. 

   

Frankie Carto – Manager

I think I’m going to have to go with Spence.  I really like Mikey’s skill set, but I feel the size difference may be too much to overcome. 

Joey Dawejko – Heavyweight

I got Errol winning this one by decision.

George Hanson – Writer

Spence wins by TKO.

John DiSanto – Writer

As skilled as Garcia is, I think Spence is just too big and too good to lose this one. 

Matthew Ward – Editor in Chief of TWI

A lot of fans and analysts are writing off Mikey.  You can’t do that with a talented guy like that.  Spence is a great fighter, but Mikey has proven himself too.  This is going to be a great main event with an average undercard.  Fights like this are great for our sport though!  All I ask is that the judges don’t screw it up.  With that said, realistically both fighters can win... I’m sticking with Mikey though. Garcia wins by UD. 

James Dominguez – Writer & Co-host of the Punchline w/ Kelly Pavlik

I’m going to take Mikey by split decision.

Luis Cortes III – Feature Writer of TWI

Feature story on the fight and why I’m picking Mikey to win on points coming tomorrow. 

Adam Weiner – Low Cut Connie

I’m going to go with Spence by unanimous decision.  Mikey ends on his feet but loses a clear decision.  Should be a great fight.  I love Mikey, but I think Spence will be too much. 

Jerome Conquest – Lightweight

Spence wins this one by TKO

*After surveying 18 different people, Spence pulls out to get the most votes.  Could the fight on Saturday night be just as close and full of action?  We here at TWI sure do hope so.  Enjoy the fight - from the TWI family! 

Spence: 10

Garcia: 8

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Hank Lundy Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

"Hammerin Hank" Lundy (29-7-1, 14 KOs) sat down with me to discuss his upcoming all Philadelphia lightweight bout with Avery Sparrow (9-1, 3 KOs) on March 15, 2019. The fight is part of a great night of boxing presented by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. The card is headlined by a super featherweight contest between Tevin Farmer (28-4-1, 6 KOs) and Jono Carroll (16-0-1, 3 KOs) for Farmer's IBF World Super Featherweight Title.

Check out our interview on iTunes and SoundCloud:

Hank Lundy Interview with Luis Cortes on iTunes

Hank Lundy Interview with Luis Cortes on SoundCloud

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Lucas Matthysse is Official

Veteran fighters, Manny Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) and Lucas Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) will officially square off on Sunday, July 15th at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The two men will battle for Matthysse's World Boxing Association (WBA) World Welterweight Title that he captured with an eighth round knockout victory over Tewa Kiram on January 27th. Pacquiao is coming off of a unanimous decision defeat to Jeff Horn last July, in which he lost his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) World Welterweight Title. Many observers in the world of boxing were concerned that the fight would not occur due to financial issues, which have been resolved in the last 24 hours.

The eleven fight undercard is loaded with talent, and features three additional world title fights. Filipino featherweight, Jhack Tepora (21-0, 16 KOs) will fight Mexico's Edivaldo Ortega (26-1-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) World Featherweight Title. South Africa's Moruti Mthalane (35-2, 24 KOs) is scheduled to take on Pakistan's Muhammad Waseem (8-0, 6 KOs), a fighter who had a very impressive amateur career, for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Flyweight Title. Venezuela's Carlos Canizales (20-0-1, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his World Boxing Association (WBA) World Light Flyweight Title against China's Bin Lu (aka Lü Bin) (1-0, 1 KO). Lu, a 2016 Olympian for China, looks to not only win a world title, but also break the record set by Saensak Muangsurin and Vasyl Lomachenko by one fight by becoming a world champion in his second fight.

MW

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Claressa Shields vs. Hanna Gabriels

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Claressa Shields (5-0, 2 KOs) is scheduled to fight Hanna Gabriels (18-1-1, 11 KOs) on June 22nd in Detroit. The two top-notch female fighters will square off in a ten round bout for the vacant IBF/WBA Women's Middleweight Title on Showtime. Shields, an undefeated fighter from nearby Flint, is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over women's middleweight contender Tori Nelson. Costa Rica's Gabriels, who is making her American pro debut, has one blemish on her veteran record, a TKO loss to Oxandia Castillo in 2013.

This title fight sits on top of a ten fight card, that also features another women's middleweight bout between Christina Hammer (22-0, 10 KOs) and Tori Nelson (17-1-3, 2 KOs) for Hammer's WBC/WBO Women's Middleweight Title. This match should be of interest to the winner of Shields vs. Gabriels in that it is likely that the winner will face Hammer or Nelson in their next bout. Hammer, an undefeated fighter from Germany, looks to preserve her perfect record in her American pro debut. Nelson, who is coming off of a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Claressa Shields, hopes to get back in the win column, and potentially get a rematch against the popular, Shields.

The card, which will take place at the Masonic Temple, will also feature the following professional bouts:

Umar Salamov (20-1, 15 KOs) vs. Brian Howard (13-1, 10 KOs) - ten rounds, light heavyweights for the IBF North American Light Heavyweight Title

Bakhtiyar Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nicholas Givhan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) - ten rounds, junior welterweights

Aslambek Idigov (12-0, 5 KOs) vs. James Ballard (10-1, 3 KOs) - ten rounds, light heavyweights

Jarico O'Quinn (8-0-1, 5 KOs) vs. Yaqub Kareem (14-9-1, 8 KOs) - eight rounds, bantamweights

Franchon Crews-Dezurn (3-1, 1 KO) vs. Crystal Byers (0-3) - six rounds, female super middleweights

Apti Davtaev (14-0-1, 13 KOs) vs. Cory Phelps (16-10-1, 8 KOs) - eight rounds, heavyweights

Leon Lawson III (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. TBA - six rounds, junior middleweights

Joseph Bonas (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Michael Klekotta (1-2, 1 KO) - four rounds, welterweights

MW

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Tony Bellew vs. David Haye II

David Haye's Haymaker Promotion is teaming up with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing to bring a nine fight card to the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, May 5th. This card features two bouts in particular that are receiving a lot of attention from boxing fans around the world - Bellew vs. Haye II and Rodriguez vs. Butler.

In the main event, Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) will square off against David Haye (28-3, 26 KOs) in a rematch of their March 4, 2017 bout in which Bellew, a former WBC Cruiserweight Champion, won by 11th round TKO over the 37-year-old former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, David Haye. In what appeared to be a close fight, both men suffered injuries in the match that contributed to the outcome of the contest. Haye suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Bellew broke his hand. The second installment of this British grudge match is scheduled for twelve rounds in the heavyweight division.

The card also features an IBF Bantamweight Title fight between Emmanuel Rodriguez (17-0, 12 KOs) and Paul Butler (26-1, 14 KOs). Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, will travel to Butler's homeland to fight in his first world title bout. He held the WBC Latino Bantamweight Title from 2015 to 2017, and has won seven of his last eight fights by way of knockout. His most recent victory was a fourth round stoppage over Mexico's Giovanni Delgado on August 5, 2017 in Puerto Rico. Butler, a former WBA Continental Bantamweight Champion, has one blemish on his record, a TKO loss to Zolani Tate in 2015. He has won his last nine fights, with his most recent victory coming earlier this year against Jefferson Vargas.

Saturday's card also features the following bouts:

Martin J. Ward (19-0-2, 9 KOs) vs. James Tennyson (21-2, 17 KOs) - 12 rounds, for Ward's European Junior Lightweight Title

Lenroy Thomas (22-4-1, 10 KOs) vs. Joe Joyce (3-0, 3 KOs) - 12 rounds, for Thomas' Commonwealth Heavyweight Title

John Ryder (25-4, 13 KOs) vs. Jamie Cox (25-1, 14 KOs) - 12 rounds, super middleweights

Joshua Buatsi (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Stephane Cuevas (8-1-3, 4 KOs) - eight rounds, light heavyweights

Jordan Gill (19-0, 4 KOs) vs. David Berna (15-3, 14 KOs) - six rounds, super featherweights

Kody Davies (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Przemyslaw Gorgon (6-2, 3 KOs) - four rounds, light heavyweights

Money Powell IV (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Mark Krammerstodter (3-2-1, 2 KOs) - four rounds, super welterweights

The card will air live in the United States on AWE at 1:30 PM EST.

MW

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V is for Mikey Garcia’s VICTORY

Finally! The People’s Red Head has Come Back to The Weigh-In!

San Antonio played host to Mikey Garcia versus Sergey Lipinets Saturday night at the Freeman Coliseum. For those of you who read other boxing blogs, go fuck yourselves! I am completely kidding. There are a lot of different places to get your information from, and The People’s Red Head does not have the market cornered in this respect. However, as you read this article, please notice that The Weigh-In does not follow the masses, we pride ourselves on honest commentary, and are not influenced by mainstream media.

The reason I preface the above is the fact that my man, Mikey Garcia is getting a lot of negative criticism for his unanimous victory over Sergey Lipinets.  Let us not forget that Lipinets was the IBF Super Lightweight Champion heading into Saturday night’s showdown. Lipinets entered the contest with a record of 13-0, with 10 KOs. For Garcia, his body of work speaks for itself. He entered Saturday night’s contest as a three-division champion, looking to make history by acquiring a belt in a fourth weight class.

I'm not sure what the masses or media felt heading into this contest, but Lipinets heart and skill level seemed to be overlooked by many observers. I am shocked to hear anyone criticize Garcia’s victory. The overall perspective of other media sources and publications have me reminiscing of old college hook ups with randoms. I use that comparison to illustrate that I was not bringing these ladies back to the dorm to hear their opinion on the current climate of the social landscape. Trust me, they were brought back to the dorm so I could shame my socially inept roommate and give ceiling tours. I did not become The People’s Red Head by playing it safe back in those “glory days.” I sure as hell will not play it safe in today’s commentary. Get ready people, this article is going to be raw dog without a bag. However, in order to spare you all a lengthy soapbox commentary, I will pullout at the right time.

Garcia opened up Saturday night’s bout feeling out Lipinets. While many knew Garcia was a huge step up in class for Lipinets, there was no doubt in our minds that this would be a quality match up. Lipinets began to get inside Garcia’s defense around round three. In fact, Lipinets opened rounds three and four finding a home for his jab. Garcia’s chin was getting peppered but as the rounds went on, Garcia reestablished his dominance, and stole the rounds on the judges’ scorecards.

Garcia’s nose was bloodied from the repeated jabs of Lipinets. Lipinets was also beginning to show signs of Garcia’s power on his face. Round five displayed a good exchange. Lipinets opened round five as the aggressor, but Garcia again took over. Round five showed us all that these two were going to continue to trade hooks as their timing was proving perfect for dual contact. Garcia seemed to be getting the better of Lipinets every time they simultaneously landed on one another.

Round six ended up being one of Lipinets' best. Garcia’s corner warned him about getting out of the corners, but Garcia had issues with this throughout the round. Lipinets capitalized landing combos and committing to bodywork. For a moment, I was concerned about Garcia’s attempt to make history. The bell sounded, Garcia retreated to his corner, clearly having lost this round. Thank goodness round seven happened.

Round seven ended up being the most explosive round of the match. Lipinets hits Garcia with a flush left hook. This prompted a fierce exchange where Lipinets leaned right into Garcia’s powerful left hook. Garcia landed a flush punch and Lipinets fell to the canvas for the first time is his professional career. Lipinets immediately bounced up after being dropped, not even enduring a three count. At this point, if you were not a fan of Lipinets, you might have been becoming one.

The fight continued and Lipinets still continued to come forward. He spent rounds eight through twelve giving Garcia his best effort. Lipinets showed he had unquestioned heart and the skill to match it. While overcoming the knockdown was impressive, Garcia dominated the championship rounds and cruised to a unanimous decision victory, further cementing his place in boxing history.

Congratulations to Garcia for a well deserved win. Congratulations to Lipinets for a fantastic performance that was just not enough to overcome the elite talent that is Mikey Garcia. Finally, congratulations to me for attending Garcia’s after party. Do not Google images, shit got weird.

(Ginger Party)

People’s Red Head Out!

Special Thanks To:

Michael “The Mouth” Rapaport

Showtime Boxing for brilliant commentating and statistical analysis

Drew and Mike for years of entertainment in the “D”

Netflix for allowing all comedians, no matter their talent level to post their specials (a real thank you for all the shit I have had to turnoff)

Ward Brothers for handing out mustache rides since the late 80's

-Dustin Johnson, The People's Red Head

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GGG vs. Canelo Part II

The second installment of Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) has been announced for May 5, 2018. The venue for the second part of this mega fight is yet to be determined, although it is highly likely that the fight will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The two middleweights last fought on September 16, 2017, when the two men fought to a twelve round split decision draw in front of a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO middleweight titles will be on the line.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In for more information on the venue and undercard over the next few weeks!

(Supremacy... Part II)

MW

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Who will Errol Spence Jr. Face Next?

Errol Spence Jr. (23-0, 20 KOs) decisively defeated Lamont Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KOs) via TKO on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Peterson, a former two-division world champion, was hurt in the second round by a barrage of Spence body shots. In the fifth round, Peterson was sent to the canvas by Spence right and left hands. In the sixth round, Peterson's right eye showed the effects of Spence's powerful punches, as it was nearly swollen shut. Peterson was examined by the ringside physician just after the bell marking the beginning of the seventh round rang. At the conclusion of the seventh round, Peterson was being swept by Spence on the judges' scorecards. By this point, Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter, had seen enough and asked for the fight to be stopped. This was Spence's first defense of his IBF World Welterweight Title, and tenth straight career victory by knockout.

Who will Errol Spence Jr. face next?

The talented 28-year-old welterweight sits on top of the IBF's 147 pound division rankings, and holds a major title in a weight class that is crowded with some of boxing's biggest names and talent. Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) holds the WBC and WBA titles in this weight class, while Jeff Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs) holds the WBO World Welterweight Title. Keith Thurman is coming off of a March 4th victory over former champion, Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs). Jeff Horn is scheduled to make his second title defense on April 14th against super lightweight boxing star, Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs).

Bad Left Hook recently reported that Spence wants to fight Thurman in 2018. However, it is likely that Thurman will schedule a tune up fight before agreeing to a showdown against the IBF champ. Before a bout can be scheduled between Spence and Thurman, Spence may have to defend his title against other highly ranked, IBF welterweights, such as Carlos Ocampo (22-0, 13 KOs) and Konstantin Ponomarev (32-0, 13 KOs).

Who do you think is Errol Spence Jr.'s next opponent? Make your voice heard by replying in the comments section!

MW

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October 14th = A Big Day for Boxing!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Saturday, October 14th is going to be a BIG DAY for professional boxing! There are three solid boxing cards scheduled in Brooklyn, Carson, and London.

The show from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY is being billed as a "World Championship Triple-Header" in the junior middleweight division. This installment of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) will air on Showtime. The action-packed card features the following title fights:

Erislandy Lara (24-2-2, 14 KOs) vs. Terrell Gausha (20-0, 9 KOs), 12 rounds, for Lara's WBA Junior Middleweight Title

Jermell Charlo (29-0, 14 KOs) vs. Erickson Lubin (18-0, 13 KOs), 12 rounds, for Charlo's WBC Junior Middleweight Title

Jarrett Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs) vs. Austin Trout (30-3, 17 KOs), 12 rounds, for Hurd's IBF Junior Middleweight Title

The PBC show from the StubHub Center in Carson, CA will air on Fox/Fox Deportes, and features two WBA title bouts in the featherweight division. Abner Mares (30-2-1, 15 KOs) will defend his WBA "Regular" Featherweight Title against Andres Gutierrez (35-1-1, 25 KOs) in a 12 round contest. The second televised bout features a 12 round main event between Leo Santa Cruz (33-1-1, 18 KOs) and Chris Avalos (27-5, 20 KOs), for Santa Cruz's WBA "Super" Featherweight Title. 

Across the pond in London, George Groves (26-3, 19 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBA Super Middleweight Title against Jamie Cox (24-0, 13 KOs) in the World Boxing Super Series quarterfinals at Wembley. If Groves can get by his English countryman in this 12 round matchup, he will face Chris Eubank Jr. (26-1, 20 KOs) at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club, in the semi-final of the tournament. This fight is available on AUDIENCE Network to select American cable providers. 

(Photo - Sky Sports)

MW

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