By Jim Dower: Big 6’7″ German Timo Hoffmann (38-6-1, 22 KOs) will be returning to the ring against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight champion Francois Botha (47-4-2, 28 KOs) on May 10th at an undisclosed location in Germany. The South African Botha, now 40-years-old, is making his third fight since returning to boxing after a five year layoff between 2002-2007, and is hoping to become a factor in the heavyweight division.
UK Boxing
Hatton Unleashes His Dogs of War; Rogan vs. Sexton on May 15th – News
By Jim Dower: Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) may have thought that he impressed a lot of boxing fans with his 8th round stoppage over Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, but he’s not quite impressed Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), who sees Pacquiao’s win as nothing but a fluke due to De La Hoya’s weight depleted condition that he entered the fight in.
What Next for Khan?
By Zubair Ali: After his 5th round technical decision victory over modern day legend Marco Antonio Barrera, Amir Khan catapulted himself onto the world stage. In a fight that many believed was a genuine 50-50, Khan produced an exceptional performance against the ageing Barrera. Khan dominated from the opening bell, with a clash of heads causing a horrific cut on Barrera’s head in the opening round.
Where Does Haye Go Now?
By Chris Williams: With the recent news about International Boxing Federation – IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye’s negotiations hitting an impassable wall, it looks as if Haye is going to have to seek out another alternative for his next bout, one that doesn’t involve a Klitschko. Of course, if Haye is truly interested in fighting Wladimir, he should probably give into whatever Wladimir’s asking and start instantly groveling. I doubt Haye will, though. I guess I can’t blame him for not being eager to give into Wladimir’s prerequisites, because if the fight were to take place, Haye would get knocked out and then all this grandstanding and hype would be finished.
Tyson Fury vs. Peret on February 28th
By Jim Dower: Tyson Fury returns to the ring on February 28th against journeyman Daniel Peret (15-20, 6 KOs) at the Norwich Showground, Norwich, in Norfolk. Fury will likely have little trouble with the 35-year-old Peret, who’s coming into this fight with five losses out of his last seven fights. At best, Peret will probably be little more than a punching bag for as long as the fight lasts.
News – Elcock-Macklin, George-Ballogou, Fury-Peret
British middleweight champion Wayne Elcock says he’s happy to let mandatory challenger Matthew Macklin talk the talk ahead of their massive all Birmingham clash on a Hennessy Sports show at the Aston Arena in the city on March 14th live on ITV4. Macklin is predicting a knockout win over his local rival but Elcock and his trainer have blasted Macklin saying, “Talk is cheap”. The champion though says he won’t be drawn into a war of words ahead of the mouth watering showdown.
Haye Offers to Fight Klitschko in Germany; Murray-Chiofalo – News
Former world cruiserweight champion David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye has offered to box in Germany on a K2 Promotions show in order to revive negotiations for a summer showdown with WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Originally scheduled to take place on June 20 at Stamford Bridge in London, Haye’s eagerly anticipated duel with Klitschko has hit a series of snags in recent weeks, and now appears on the brink of collapse.
The Truth About Calzaghe’s Legacy
By Mark Boyles: With Joe Calzaghe announcing his retirement, the inevitable chorus of naysayers appear to be throwing criticism out there, arguing that his last two fights were against has-been fighters well past their prime. Firstly this struck me as odd, given that Hopkins, an “over-the-hill” fighter, went on to do a complete number on Kelly Pavlik, an up-and-coming fighter that many wanted to see step up and fight Calzaghe. Roy Jones Junior though, there’s no denying was a shadow of his former self.
Skelton Wants Bout With Haye
By Eric Thomas: British heavyweight Matt Skelton (22-2, 19 KOs) is making noises that he’d be interested in a fight with fellow UK heavyweight David Haye (22-1, 20 KOs) as soon as David gets through with fighting one of the Klitschko brothers. In an interview on the Sunday Mirror, Skelton remarked that Haye is “Lucky” and is “getting all the breaks,” no doubt referring to Haye’s potential bouts with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.