Early indications are that fans around the world are eager to get their hands on tickets for THE boxing event of 2009, which pits five-division world champion MANNY “Pac Man” PACQUIAO against Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY “The Hitman” HATTON in a world title battle that will go down in boxing history. The outpouring of global interest is tremendous, so get your tickets before they are sold out!
Serguei Lyakhovich
Valuev Dominates Lyakhovich
By David Lahr: Former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev (48-1, 34 KOs) had little problem beating former WBO heavyweight champion Sergei Lyakhovich (23-3, 14 KOs) tonight, beating him by a remarkably easy 12-round unanimous decision at the Nuernberg Arena, in Nuremberg, Bayern, Germany. The final judges’ scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 120-107, giving Valuev, 34, another possible shot at Ruslan Chagaev, the WBA heavyweight champion, who defeated Valuev by a controversial majority decision in April 2007, to take his title away.
Valuev-Lyakhovich: Nikolai Hoping To Get Another Title Shot
By Jim Carran: Previously unbeaten World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev (47-1, 34 KOs) will attempt to line himself up for another title shot on Saturday night when he goes up against former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Sergei Liakhovich (23-2, 14 KOs) in Nuremberg, Germany. If the 7-foot 320 lbs Valuev can get by Lyakhovich, while will likely be no easy task, Valuev will be in line for a title shot at current WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev, who took Valuev’s title in a close majority decision win last year. However, Lyakhovich has vowed to make Valuev work hard on Saturday night, hoping to tire him out like he was against Chagaev, a bout in which Valuev seemed to fade in the later rounds of the fight.
Valuev-Lyakhovich: Should Serguei Have Taken A Tune-Up?
By Manuel Perez: With only a week to go before the heavyweight showdown between former champions Serguei Lyakhovich (23-2, 14 KOs) and Nikolay Valuev (47-1, 34 KOs) on February 16th, at the Nuernberg Arena, in Nuremberg, Bayern, Germany, one would have to wonder whether Lyakhovich is serving his own best interest by having seemingly rushed into the fight with Valuev, 34, without having fought at least one tune-up bout before the fight.
In case anyone may have forgot, Lyakhovich last fought over a year ago, losing his World Boxing Organization heavyweight title by 12 round TKO to Shannon Briggs on November 4, 2006, a bout that Lyakhovich was leading on cards going into the 12th round when disaster struck. Since that time, Lyakhovich has been inactive, and many boxing fans are wondering whether it was the wisest thing for him to take on a fighter as good as Valuev without at least one fight in between that time. Of course, there are some fighters that say that just by sparring in the gym, they’re able to mimic the same effects as participating in a live fight.