Cotto vs. Kirkland possible for June 18 on HBO PPV

1-CaneloKirklandFiesta_Hoganphotos3By Dan Ambrose: It’s rumored that Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) could be facing the recently knocked out James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) on June 18 on HBO pay-per-view. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, the Cotto-Kirkland fight is a possibility. Selling a fight between Cotto and Kirkland is asking for trouble.

If HBO sells it for $60, then they could wind up with very few buyers. Cotto lost his last fight to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last November in a close 12 round unanimous decision loss on HBO pay-per-view. That fight was obviously a pay-per-view worthy fight between Cotto was the WBC middleweight champion at the time, and Canelo had turned his career around since his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. But Cotto is coming off of a loss to Canelo now, and the 31-year-old Kirkland hasn’t fought since being stopped in the 3rd round by Canelo in May of 2015.

read more

Boxing updates

1-CaneloKirklandFiesta_Hoganphotos6By Bill Gabay: It’s been over a week since the so-called “Fight of the Century” where Floyd “Money” Mayweather defeated Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao via unanimous decision. Many were disappointed with the lack of fireworks in the match. Perhaps even more were disappointed with the outcome as the “People’s Champ” was beaten, and convincingly, by the “bad guy”.

For anyone who follows the sport of Boxing, it was well-known that Mayweather was not going to engage Pacquiao but instead use his superior technical skills and strategy to get the win.

read more

Alvarez vs. Kirkland brings in big ratings on HBO

LOS ANGELES (May 12) – After an electrifying night at Minute Maid Park in Houston where more than 31,000 fans gathered to watch live on May 9, Canelo vs. Kirkland brought in a stunning number of viewers on HBO World Championship Boxing (WCB) with an average viewership of 2,146,000 for the live, first-time airing on HBO and peaked at 2,296,000 viewers. Canelo vs. Kirkland is the top-performing bout on HBO’s flagship boxing platform since the Antonio Tarver-Bernard Hopkins light heavyweight title battle delivered 2,460,000 viewers in 2006. This also marked the Mexican superstar’s first appearance as a headliner on the HBO WCB platform.

read more

Canelo-Kirkland averages 2.146 million viewers for HBO

Image: Canelo-Kirkland averages 2.146 million viewers for HBO(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Dan Ambrose: HBO hit a homerun with last Saturday’s match-up between junior middleweights Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) and James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) in their catch-weight at 155 pounds at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

The Canelo-Kirkland fight brought in a peak of 2.296 million viewers with an average of 2.146 million, making it the No.1 fight on regular HBO since the 2006 bout between Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver.

read more

Kirkland wants a rematch against Canelo

Image: Kirkland wants a rematch against Canelo(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Dan Ambrose: James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) says he’d like another shot against Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) in the future if Canelo is willing to give him another fight. Kirkland says he had the 24-year-old Canelo hurt a couple of times in the fight, but he was unable to finish him off. Instead of finishing Canelo off, he was the one who was knocked out in the 3rd round when he walked into a right hand from the red-haired Canelo.

A rematch between these two sluggers would be something that boxing fans would like to see, but for the fight to really interest fight fans it would have to take place down the road a stretch after Kirkland redeems himself with a number of good wins under his belt. It means that Kirkland will need to prove himself worthy of a rematch for him to get a second shot.

read more

Is Canelo ready for Golovkin?

Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Bob Smith: Yesterday evening Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did have a major victory over James Kirkland. Cynics and critics might say that he had too lose too much weight; that he had ring rust; that he is not the fighter that he used to be; and that without Ann Wolfe he was destined to lose.

While they may be partly right in these claims, a lot of the credit has to be given to Canelo, who showed poise, skill, hand speed, combinations, and above all excellent defense in his 3rd round KO victory over Kirkland. I don’t think a 100% Kirkland with his former trainer Ann Wolfe in his corner would have fared much better.

read more

“Canelo will fight Golovkin when the time is right,” says De La Hoya

Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Allan Fox: Now that his flagship fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) has gotten past the formidable James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) by a 3rd round knockout last Saturday night, Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya is going to sit down and start planning for Canelo’s next fight in September or October.

One name that won’t be in the equation for the 24-year-old Canelo’s next fight is WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (32-0, 29 KOs). De La Hoya says he’s going to make the fight between Canelo and Golovkin when the time is right. Evidently this isn’t the right time to put the fight together, according to De La Hoya.

read more

Canelo to fight next in September or October

Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Dan Ambrose: #1 WBC, #2 WBA junior middleweight contender Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) says he’ll be back inside the ring in either September or October against an opponent still to be determined.

Canelo would obviously like that opponent to be WBC middleweight belt holder Miguel Cotto, but that’s unlikely given how long it takes for Cotto to negotiate fights with his opposition.

read more

Ann Wolfe: If I was in Kirkland’s corner it would not be the same fight

Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Dan Ambrose: Last night, junior middleweight James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) fought without his long time trainer Ann Wolfe in his 3rd round knockout loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

Kirkland is unbeaten at 32-0 when trained by Wolfe, and his two defeats, both knockout losses, have come when he’s been with other trainers. Wolfe was at last night’s Canelo-Kirkland fight, and she feels that it would have been a much different story if she’d been working Kirkland’s corner for that fight. She says she knows how to bring the dog out of Kirkland.

read more

Kirkland’s purse $1.3 million, Canelo at least $3.5 million

Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland(Photo Credit:Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) By Allan Fox: Last night’s clash between junior middleweights Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) and James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) may not have had any world titles on the line, but the two fighters still made pretty good money despite the fight just being for entertainment purposes.

The 31-year-old Kirkland earned a purse of $1.3 million, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN. Canelo got at least $3.5 million, possibly more.

read more