11-07-2016, 10:36 AM
Would love AJ/Wilder. Both guys are huge, have great jabs, and power. AJ gets the nod because of his boxing skills and Wilder's poor defense.
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Heavyweight Division
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11-07-2016, 12:07 PM
Kubrat Pulev-Sam Peter, December 3rd in Sofia
James Slater - November 6, 2016 9 Comments Kubrat Pulev, the reigning European heavyweight champion who was recently in the running to be the next challenger for IBF boss Anthony Joshua, has another fight set instead. According to Pulev’s Twitter page, he will face none other than former WBC heavyweight champ Sam Peter in Sofia, Bulgaria on December 3rd. Tickets are on sale now apparently. What to make of this match-up? A few years ago, when Peter was still fighting regularly and was in good shape, weight-wise, this one would have been a big attraction. Maybe it still will pull in the fans in Pulev’s homeland, but what can we expect from Peter, now aged 36 and having had just two fights since 2011 (both low-key wins)? Pulev, beaten only by then-champ Wladimir Klitschko, is a legitimate world title contender and it is unclear why he has taken this fight or what he hopes to gain from it. A win would not impress too many boxing fans, who feel, probably correctly, that “The Nigerian Nightmare” is either shot or very close to it. On the other hand, Peter always could punch and what if, for one last time, the stocky slugger gets himself in decent condition and gets lucky next month? Where would Pulev be then? Very much a fight that is risk (maybe not too much risk, but you get my point, what with Peter’s punching power) and no real reward, Pulev-Peter is a curiosity of a heavyweight match-up if ever there was one. One that has come at least five years too late. Pulev, 23-1(12) is only one year older than Peter at age 35, yet he has been far more active, is in far better physical shape, and in boxing years he is way younger. A Pulev win has to be the pick, but what might happen if Peter, 36-5(29) manages to land a bomb on the local hero’s chin? The card has been dubbed “Night of The Champions!” Both heavyweights have of course been in with Wladimir Klitschko – Peter twice, also facing Vitali. Pulev has won three in a row since being stopped by Wladimir in an exciting fight in November of 2014.
11-09-2016, 11:47 AM
Plenty going on at heavyweight
James Slater - November 8, 2016 4 Comments “Ruiz has the fastest hands since Ali,” Hughie Fury ready to “take all these champions,” Scott is “a Bentley who can outbox Ortiz” Today’s heavyweight division may be plenty muddled as far as the man on the street knowing who the world champion is goes (we could soon have as many as six champs, all of them holding a belt of some kind) – but there is no shortage of action. On this, the week that sees the 20th anniversary of the epic upset the great Evander Holyfield scored over Mike Tyson, we have plenty of heavyweight match-ups to get our teeth into. This Saturday in Monaco, Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz will have his first fight under the Matchroom banner, against the skilled and experienced Malik Scott. The majority of fans expect “King Kong” to score a KO win, probably quite early. But reigning British heavyweight champ Dillian Whyte – who aims to springboard into the mix at world level after his fight with Dereck Chisora – gives Scott’s classy boxing skills the edge. “I give Malik the edge in out-boxing him because Luis Ortiz has never fought anyone that is as mobile as and as good as what Malik is,” Whyte told Sky Sports. “He’s been boxing for so long it’s second nature to him. He gets in there and moves around like a Bentley. Hopefully he wins on points.” So, not exactly a prediction to take to the bank, but a brave enough call all the same. On December 10, it has been conformed that unbeatens Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jnr will meet in Auckland to fight for the vacant WBO belt. Ruiz’ promoter Bob Arum rates his heavy highly, or at least Arum rates Ruiz’ hand speed incredibly – comparing it the incomparable Muhammad Ali’s! “I give my guy a helluva shot, especially now he is being trained by Abel Sanchez,” Arum said in New Zealand media. “The game-plan will be to utilize the tremendous hand speed Andy has. I haven’t seen a heavyweight with the hand speed of Andy since Muhammad Ali.” Wow! Even if, as we all know, hand speed alone does not win fights, this is some edge that Ruiz has. If it’s true, Parker, who Arum has called “pretty slow,” could have real problems next month. As for unbeaten Hughie Fury, the still-active cousin of troubled former heavyweight king Tyson, the unbeaten 22 year-old believes he can “take them all,” as in the current world champs. “I’m ready to go,” Fury told IFL TV. “I’ve had the awkward fights and the experience [gaining] fights, I’m not playing games any more. I’ll take Wilder, I’ll take Joshua – I’ll take all these champions.” More mere bold talk, or has Fury got the tools to reach the top if he’s given the chance? Hopefully we will find out as he does so himself. Not too dull a scene, today’s heavyweight division, is it? And we have, potentially, big fights involving Joshua, Klitschko, Haye, Wilder, Briggs, Browne, Miller, Whyte and a few more to look forward to. We may never have another undisputed – as in truly undisputed – heavyweight ruler again (or not for a very long time), but atop the heavyweight mountain the fun and games remain.
11-09-2016, 02:07 PM
11-10-2016, 11:07 AM
Ortiz: I’ll rule the heavyweight division in 2017
Luis Ortiz says he’ll rule the Heavyweight division in 2017 as he prepares to take on Malik Scott in Monte-Carlo on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on HBO in the US. Ortiz is one of the most feared fighters on the planet and has blasted away 22 of his 25 opponents inside the distance, with the vicious Cuban’s last two outings underlining his fearsome reputation as dismissed Bryant Jennings in seven rounds to land the interim WBA crown in December and then destroyed Tony Thompson in six rounds in March. ‘King Kong’ is hunting down World honours and makes his European debut against Scott his first fight under the Matchroom banner and the 37 year old monster revealed his excitement at his upcoming schedule. The Heavyweight division was thrown wide open when Tyson Fury ended the long-standing reign of lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in November 2015. A slated rematch between the pair failed to happen though and with Fury now out of commission as he deals with personal issues outside the ring, the throne sits vacant waiting for a new king to emerge – and Ortiz believes he’s the man to beat the likes of Anthony Joshua MBE, Deontay Wilder and Klitschko and rule the world. “I want to fight the very best and I want to be the Heavyweight champion of the world,” said Ortiz. “I’m willing to fight anyone, any champion, any place, any time. I’m ready for anyone: Joshua, Wilder, Klitschko. I know I can beat all of them. “I feel I have been at my peak for many years now. I have simply been late arriving on the US Heavyweight boxing scene. I have been fighting since I was in elementary school. Boxing is a very, very deep passion of mine. “Now, it is a way to give my family a better future, and I tell you, no one will stand in my way of accomplishing this. In my eyes, I am the Heavyweight champion of the world and if anyone, any other champion, is willing to challenge me, to face me, I can and will prove it. “I do have a lot of respect for the Heavyweight champions. They have accomplished a lot and have sacrificed a lot to be where they are. They do deserve recognition. I just want the chance to beat them and be [seen by all as] the next true Heavyweight champion. “I think Fury was able to shake up the Heavyweight division and because of him, the division is now one of the most exciting divisions to watch! I just want to get the opportunity to face him, or Wilder, to prove I am a champion as well.” Scott’s clash with Ortiz is part of a huge night of action in Monte-Carlo as WBA World Bantamweight king Jamie McDonnell defends his crown against Liberio Solis. It’s the fifth defence for the Doncaster ace, who followed his stoppage win over Javier Chacon with a pair of impressive wins over Tomoki Kameda in Texas last year and stopped Fernando Vargas in nine rounds at The O2 in London this April. Stephen Smith has a second World title crack, challenging WBA Super-Featherweight kingpin Jason Sosa. Smith travelled to Connecticut to meet IBF ruler Jose Pedraza in April in his first outing for a World belt, and recovered from that points loss with a commanding win over Daniel Brizuela in his hometown of Liverpool a month later. Puerto Rican-American Sosa defends his strap for the first time having ripped the crown from Javier Fortuna in Beijing in June. Martin Murray is targeting World title action in 2017 but faces a stiff test in the shape of former interim WBA Middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov.
11-10-2016, 12:35 PM
11-11-2016, 11:02 AM
Good fight this weekend:
Saturday, November 11 HBO (4PM ET/PT) Luis Ortiz vs. Malik Scott (heavyweight) 
11-11-2016, 11:29 AM
11-11-2016, 11:34 AM
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