By Daniel Hughes: #1 IBF James DeGale (20-1, 14 KOs) is looking to create history tomorrow in Boston by becoming the first Olympic Gold medalist from the UK to transform those amateur credentials into becoming a world champion when he enters the ring at the Agganis Arena, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
DeGale gets the opportunity against Andre Dirrell (24-1, 16 KOs) in a real 50-50 fight with the IBF middleweight championship on the line on NBC on Premier Boxing Champions.
By Daniel Hughes: It’s amazing to see how many sports fans around the world have commented and feel shortchanged about the recent Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight on May 2nd. The ‘fight for the fans’ was about the realistic state of where both fighters currently stand.
It was a fight about generating revenue numbers now, not about their current respective talents, at their peak both fighters would have looked at a split of $50 – $60 million dollars.
By Daniel Hughes: You wonder how former WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillin must be feeling this morning? Quillin, guided by his adviser Al Haymon, decided to vacate his WBO middleweight title rather than face the then undefeated Russian Matt Korobov. To understand the decision has made boxing fans question the direction Peter Quillin’s career is heading.The money on offer for the fight,too good to turn down you would think, Quillin’s team did indeed turn down the offer.
For Quillin’s team to turn down a career high $1.4 million for facing Korobov, after Jay Z owned Roc Nation Sports bid $1.9 million dollars to promote the fight will probably be hurting Koborov this morning also. Korobov was due to collect a career high $500,000 dollars to face the undefeated Quillin. Instead, he faced Andy Lee last night with the vacant WBO title on the line and his unbeaten record and for a far, far smaller payday.
By Daniel Hughes: I wrote earlier in the year about rising Oklahoma welterweight Mexican prospect Alex Saucedo (16-0 (11 KO’s) as a fighter to keep an eye out for as a long term prospect in the 147 lb division.
The key factor for I felt the pacing of the fight by both, Eubank Jr started slowly the opening four rounds for me clearly won by Billy Joe Saunders and probably the 5th also, the cleaner work being set up behind the Saunders jab and following up with some decent combinations.Eubank Jr only started to get a foothold in the contest after the half way mark to me he and his corner judged the pace of the fight incorrectly. Saunders southpaw style certainly kept Eubank Jr from making any impression in the early rounds, Saunders deserves credit for his performance his game plan came to fruition on the night. For Eubank Jr it was his first 12 round contest and looking back I believe he was conscious of trying to leave something in the tank but by doing so it cost him the fight.
By Daniel Hughes: The chief support at the StubHub Center, in Carson, California, this past Saturday was the WBA Super World featherweight title fight between Nonito Donaire and Nicholas Walters. It was a fight that looked to be action packed from the start, and it did not disappoint in that regard. Walters moved to 25-0 (21 KO’s) via a 6th round KO. Walters was younger man taking his chance, and stepping up in class and performance against Donaire (33-3 (21 KO’s).
Donaire, of course, came to fight, he always does. He came up against a bigger, stronger, and younger opponent who unheralded before will now certainly be a force at featherweight. The fight was a real advertisement in a division that that boasts many good match ups and potential unification fights. Walters is now in the mix.
By Daniel Hughes: The main focus this weekend will of course be on the main event at the Stubhub Center, in Carson, California, USA, will be Gennady Golovkin against Marco Antonio Rubio in a middleweight match up that will no doubt produce entertainment however long it lasts.
Many boxing sites, forums and column inches of course looking forward to seeing the brutal technician Golovkin in action in a fight against the tough, rugged Rubio a Mexican fighter that doesn’t buck the stereotype of fighters from that fighting nation.
By Daniel Hughes: Fighters, promoters, managers, trainers, writers and boxing fans will always question tight decisions the world over the nature to debate a close call. It makes boxing the one sport you can sit around a table or bar and argue to your heart’s content when a fight goes to the scorecards.
By Daniel Hughes: The super bantamweight division has of course four stand out names Guillermo Rigondeaux, Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg. Rigondeaux quite rightly rated the best of a very talented bunch. The fans would love to see any combination of those fighters named being matched, unification fights and financially great paydays for the fighters involved.
(Photo Credit: Philip Sharkey) By Daniel Hughes: George Groves (19-2, 15 KOs) faces Christopher Rebrasse (22-2-3, 6 KOs) on Saturday night at Wembley Arena, in London, England for the European super-middleweight title and the chance of again putting himself back in line for challenging for world honours. It is certainly a must win fight for Groves and a fight he will want to certainly look good in coming off back to back world title defeats to Carl Froch.
It has been a little over three months since Groves was ko’d against Froch at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 fans and a worldwide TV audience the fight against Rebrasse at Wembley Arena is a stone’s throw away from his last outing. The opponent Frenchman, Rebrasse for me ideal in that he has not been stopped.