boxing fight – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Reports: Jamel Herring to defend title against Jonathan Oquendo on July 2

Jamel Herring is scheduled to defend his 130-pound title against Jonathan Oquendo on a July 2 Top Rank card in Las Vegas on ESPN.

First Shakur Stevenson and Jessie Magdaleno on separate cards. Now Jamel Herring.

The junior lightweight titleholder will defend his belt against Jonathan Oquendo on a July 2 Top Rank card in Las Vegas on ESPN, assuming the Nevada State Athletic Commission approves the show, according to multiple reports. It would be the first post-coronavirus-lockdown title fight in the U.S.

The NSAC on Wednesday approved the June 9 and June 11 Top Rank cards featuring Stevenson and Magdaleno, respectively.

Herring (21-2, 10 KOs) rebounded from losses at lightweight to Denis Shafikov and Ladarius Miller to easily outpoint Masayuki Ito to win a junior lightweight title in May of last year. The 34-year-old outpointed Lamont Roach in his first defense in November.

Oquendo (31-6, 19 KOs) rebounded from a decision loss to Roach in May of last year to shut out Charles Huerta in November.

Herring had been expected to face Carl Frampton in Ireland this summer but that fight was called off because of the pandemic. He said it was important for him to fight as soon as possible.

“You can spar and do whatever workouts at home all you want, but if you’re not getting hit with those 8-ounce gloves without head gear, it’s a huge difference,” Herring told ESPN recently. “Which is why I decided with Top Rank to go out there and stay busy. I could’ve stayed home, as well, and waited for Carl Frampton, but the fact is, we don’t know how long this pandemic is going to last.

“If I have the opportunity to go out and knock the ring rust off myself, why not use the time to do that?”

Eddie Hearn wants to stage Joshua-Pulev before small VIP crowd

Eddie Hearn wants to stage the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev title fight in front of about 1,000 high-rollers at a small venue in London.

Promoter Eddie Hearn envisions fans in the seats as early as September. And he has plans in place to welcome them, although on a small scale.

Hearn told BoxingScene.com that he wants to stage heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s title defense against Kubrat Pulev in front of about 1,000 high-rollers at either Royal Albert Hall or Olympia in London.

Both venues, which can hold many more than 1,000 spectators, have hosted boxing events in the past.

“I definitely see crowds coming back as early as September,” Hearn said. “I really want to do the fight in the U.K. So I am thinking AJ boxes in October or November. Why can’t we go to the Royal Albert Hall or Olympia and do 1,000 people, a proper glitz and glamour event, charge people a lot of money to go, dinner before, a party, drinks and everyone is a couple of meters apart from everyone?”

The Joshua-Pulev fight was originally scheduled to take place at the new 60,000-plus-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20 but it was postponed because of the coronavirus threat.

Thus, Hearn was faced with forgoing a lucrative live gate if he wanted the fight to take place this year. The small-venue idea would generate some revenue.

“If you are doing 1,000 tickets, there is a dinner before and an after-party, it is a hell of a ticket if you are a fight fan to go and watch something like that so close up,” Hearn told the website. “We just have to be creative; people will want to go out. It will take time for people to rediscover the confidence to go to event with crowds.

“I know there is a chance there could be a second spike, but if they start opening up restaurants in July and outdoor pubs, it will be very difficult to not allow gatherings of 100, 200, 500 or 1,000.”

There had been talk of staging the fight overseas but, Hearn said, that would be a gamble at this point. He added that he received no firm offer to hold the fight at a Roman amphitheater in Croatia, as reported.

“I think if Saudi [Arabia] are going to look for a return of boxing, it will be more like the back end of the year, November or December,” Hearn said. “I don’t think anyone has any confidence right now to be booking things up and spending money.

“You see [promoter Bob] Arum talking about the Far East and Australia. There are definitely going to be countries that are wanting to establish themselves as open for business.

“So, staging a big fight and maybe a big heavyweight fight might be appealing to them. That goes for Oleksandr Usyk-Dereck Chisora and AJ-Pulev.”

Bob Arum confirms that Kubrat Pulev won’t step aside for Fury-Joshua fight

Kubrat Pulev’s manager pitches Croatia as site for Anthony Joshua fight

Manny Pacquiao reportedly has no idea who he’ll fight next

The president of MP Promotions said Manny Pacquiao could fight as early as November but isn’t in talks with any perspective opponent.

Manny Pacquiao apparently has nothing substantial in the works for his next fight.

Sean Gibbons, the president of MP Promotions, told Yahoo Sports that there have been no negotiations for his next fight since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Gibbons said the 41-year-old icon “is just working out in his backyard and not looking at any fights.”

Mikey Garcia has been mentioned as a good candidate to face Pacquiao but Gibbons evidently didn’t mention him. Promoter Bob Arum told PhilBoxing.com that he spoke to Pacquiao about facing fellow titleholder Terence Crawford, but Gibbons said that he’s unaware of that conversation.

Also, Top Rank President Todd duBoef told Yahoo Sports that there has been no movement on Pacquiao vs. Crawford.

Gibbons said he expects Pacquiao to fight in November at the earliest and probably somewhere outside the U.S. There had been talk of Pacquiao fighting in the Middle East before COVID-19 shut everything down.

“The situation this world is in is very fluid right now and things are changing daily, weekly and monthly,” Gibbons said. “I haven’t seen anybody having fights with large amounts of fans yet, and I don’t know really know how to move forward at this point with what is going on.

“I think those discussions will begin in the next month or so if things continue to improve. … So as things get better over the next month, if the Senator was going to target any time, I believe it would be November, December when he’d be looking to get back into the ring somewhere.

“I think the U.S. is a difficult proposition right now given the circumstances and all that has happened. I don’t rule anything out yet. It’s just so early considering the situation in the world.”

Tyson Fury: Deontay Wilder will be ‘more dangerous’ next time

Tyson Fury will be favored to beat Deontay Wilder in their third fight but Fury believes Wilder remains a “dangerous opponent.”

Few people seem to believe former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will turn the tables on Tyson Fury after Fury stopped him in seven rounds in February.

However, one person is taking nothing for granted — Fury.

The new champ told Sky Sports that Wilder remains a “very dangerous opponent.” The two are expected to meet as early as this fall in third fight. Their first meeting ended in a controversial draw.

“Heavyweight boxing takes one punch,” Fury said. “Dismantle Deontay Wilder? It only takes one punch off Deontay Wilder. He’s still a very dangerous opponent, still a very hungry man, who is coming in there to prove his worth, to prove he can come back and become a two-time heavyweight champion.

“He’ll be more dangerous than [in] the last fight, for sure.”

Tyson Fury (right) insists he’s not taking anything for granted in his third fight with Deontay Wilder. Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

Fury went on: “Do you know what? It’s just a boxing match. It’s a boxing match. I don’t look at it like anything else. You win some, you lose some. You never can tell.”

There is no telling precisely when or where the fight will take place because of the coronavirus pandemic. Promoters are shooting for the fall and reportedly are considering sites outside the U.S. and U.K., including China and Australia.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, whenever that may be. I’ll get over there, nice and early, eight to 10 weeks beforehand, put in a good, grueling training camp.

“Hopefully , I’ll be injury free and we’ll go out there and dance beneath the stars in front of the world after coronavirus.”

He went on: “God willing everything goes to plan, and we both get out the ring safely, and go back to our families in one piece, and the show continues to the next one, whatever that may be.

“I’d love to get out there and do what I do best, boxing, but it’s out of my hands. It’s out of everybody’s hands, apart from people who are running the world.

“Unfortunately, I’m not one of those, and I’m glad I’m not because that job is difficult. Much more difficult than taking punches in the face for money.”

Fightnight Live unveils $5 PPV plan for regional boxing shows

Fightnight Live, an interactive Facebook series, plans to charge $5 to watch regional and club shows to help boxing restart.

Five dollars to watch regional and club boxing shows?

That’s the plan unveiled by Fightnight Live, an interactive Facebook series that has streamed 48 live events from 21 different cities since May 2017. The goal is to create a revenue stream to help regional promoters stage combat sports cards without spectators or with small crowds, if that’s what’s required amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release.

Boxing is scheduled to restart next month.

“This has been a challenging time for so many, and we’re incredibly pleased to introduce a Facebook option that can enable fight cards to happen safely, with socially-distanced crowds or even without fans in the stands,” said Mark Fratto, principal and director of business development, Linacre Media.

“The top promoters in boxing and MMA have lucrative broadcast and streaming deals, but regional/club promoters have limited options without ticket revenue. Fightnight Live PPV can be a path forward; a public health-conscious and financially-responsible way to get fighters fighting again.”

Fratto went on: “Thanks to the steadfast commitment from our partners at Everlast, Fightnight Live PPV shows will be affordable for fan consumption, and the low production price point will enable promoters to get their fighters back in the ring as soon as they can get commission-approved, safe dates.

“And of course, the safety of the fighters, officials and everyone involved will be paramount. Our production crews will operate with testing, masks, social distancing and will even work offsite, REMI-style, when appropriate.”

The Fightnight Live PPV schedule will be announced “in the coming weeks,” according to the release.

Fightnight Live is available at www.facebook.com/facefightnightlive.

Video: Saturday Fight Live: Devin Haney vs. Antonio Moran

In this installment of Saturday Fight Live, Devin Haney and father/trainer Bill Haney watch the Antonio Moran fight and provide commentary.

Devin Haney was a pup of only 20 when he took on Antonio Moran in May of last year in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

The fast-rising lightweight was making his main event debut on DAZN and he was hoping to make a strong impression. He did. Haney outboxed his overmatched opponent before ending the bout with a mammoth overhand right to Moran’s jaw that put him down and out at 2:32 of Round 7.

Less than four months later, while he was still 20, Haney stopped Zaur Abdullaev after four rounds to win an interim title and was soon elevated to full champion.

In this installment of DAZN’s Saturday Fight Live, Haney, now 21, and father/trainer/manager Bill Haney watch a video of the Moran fight and provide their commentary.

Here’s what father and son had to say.

[jwplayer nd4Lkozq]

Danny Garcia wants full credit if he beats Spence or Pacquiao

Danny Garcia doesn’t want to hear anything about car accidents or old age if he fights and beats Errol Spence or Manny Pacquiao.

Danny Garcia doesn’t want to hear excuses.

If he fights and beats Errol Spence Jr. next, he doesn’t want Spence or anyone else to say Spence wasn’t at full strength following his car accident in October. If Garcia fights Manny Pacquiao, he doesn’t want to hear how old Pacquiao is.

If Garcia wins, he wants full credit.

“if you ain’t 100 percent, don’t get in the ring,” Garcia said on The Ak & Barak Show. “If you ain’t ready, don’t get in the ring. You know? That’s just that simple. You know, I know they say Manny’s older now, but he’s coming off a big win. So, if he’s old, don’t get in the ring. If Spence ain’t better, don’t get in the ring cuz I don’t wanna hear no excuses. I never made no excuses.”

Garcia is expected to fight Spence, although no formal announcement has been made. The Philadelphian was set to face Spence on pay-per-view in January but the matchup was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He’s also thought to be in contention to face the 41-year-old Pacquiao, who is coming off a split decision victory over Keith Thurman in July.

Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) likes his chances against the unbeaten Spence (26-0, 21 KO), especially after watching Spence’s victories over Mikey Garcia (UD) and Shawn Porter (SD) last year.

“You know, I seen things in the Mikey Garcia fight, even though he won that fight,” Danny Garcia said. “You know, he won by a big score, but I saw things in that fight that, you know, I’m bigger than Mikey, I’m stronger than Mikey and Mikey did some good things in that fight. He just was beat by the bigger, better man. You know what I mean?

“And then the [Shawn] Porter fight, you know, I saw he was getting hit a lot. You know, when I fought Porter, it wasn’t even a hard fight to me like that. You know what I mean? It was just he just threw more and that’s why he won, basically.

“But I seen him get hit a lot in that fight and I seen a lot of mistakes, where I feel like, you know, I could take this guy. I’m 100 percent confident I could take him.”

Report: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia set for this fall

Anthony Joshua on facing Tyson Fury: ‘Just another opponent’

Anthony Joshua says he would approach an all-British heavyweight title-unification fight against Tyson Fury as just another fight.

Anthony Joshua acknowledged that an all-British showdown with Tyson will be perceived as a monumental encounter. From his perspective? No big deal.

Joshua even suggested in an interview with Britsh GQ that a meeting with Fury would’ve even be the biggest fight of his career. His biggest moments so far are victories over Wladimir Klitschko and Andy Ruiz Jr., the latter in a rematch of his stunning knockout loss.

“You know what? There are going to be bigger fights [than Fury] because I’m not going anywhere,” Joshua said. “I’m here to make history. I’m hungry and fired up. Fury is just another opponent at the end of the day. Yeah, it’s going to be big for everyone else, but I have to keep myself together and look at Fury like he’s just another fighter.

“But in terms of the spectacle, the trash-talking, two juggernauts coming together, I can’t wait.”

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) won his first heavyweight title in spectacular fashion in April 2016, stopping then-beltholder Charlos Martin in only two rounds. Then, after two successful defenses, he got up from a knockdown to stop Klitschko in 11 rounds and become a major star.

He looked all but unstoppable in three subsequent title defenses and then disaster struck last June. A chubby Mexican-American got up from his own knockdown to put the champion on the canvas four times and stop him in seven rounds.

Everything Joshua had built had come crashing down. How he responded would determine the direction in which his career would go. And he responded well, easily outpointing an ill-prepared Ruiz in December to regain his titles and some of the respect he lost six months earlier.

Next up are separate fights for Fury and Joshua, who are expected to face Deontay Wilder and Kubrat Pulev before the end of the year at sites to be determined if the coronavirus pandemic allows it. If they win, they presumably will face one another in that huge event.

“I’ve tasted what being at the top of the mountain feels like, and I’ve tasted what being knocked off the mountain feels like,” he said. “I’ve climbed my way back up, and whoever steps in front of me now will know that I ain’t looking to go back down.

“So when I’m fighting Pulev and get the opportunity to fight with Tyson Fury for the WBC championship of the world, I think they are going to see what it feels for a man to have had it all, lost it and got it back. A man who has experienced those turbulences doesn’t want to go through that again.”

On this date: Bernard Hopkins makes history against Jean Pascal

Bernard Hopkins outpointed Jean Pascal to become the oldest ever to win a major title on this date in 2011.

The first fight between Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins, which ended in a majority draw, left a bad taste in the mouths of both fighters.

Pascal, the WBC light heavyweight titleholder, thought he could’ve performed better than he did because he underestimated his quadragenarian opponent in December 2010. And Hopkins, trying to become the oldest to win a world title, thought he did enough to have his hand raised even though he went down twice. Many agreed.

The second fight – on this date, May 21 – the following year at the Bell Centre in Pascal’s hometown of Montreal would settle things and give Hopkins, 46, a chance to make history.

The Executioner wasn’t the athlete he once was but, as a result of disciplined manner in which he lived, he was remarkably well preserved and never more clever or determined in the ring. Pascal, 28, was a good, strong all-around fighter with youth on his side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kat7J_qurd8

The first few rounds were uneventful before the fighters settled into a rough, give-and-take fight in which both fighters had their moments. In end, though, Hopkins landed the more telling blows and proved difficult for Pascal to hit cleanly.

Thus, the old man won on all three cards, 115-113, 116-112 and 115-114. With the victory, Hopkins surpassed George Foreman as the oldest fighter to win a major title in boxing history. Foreman was 45 when he stopped Michael Moorer to win the heavyweight title in 1994.

“You don’t get a chance to do this too often,” Hopkins said afterward. “You’re supposed to win titles when you are younger, in your 20s, not when you are 46. This is in the top two moments of my career, right there alongside beating [Felix] Trinidad.”

Pascal didn’t complain.

“Bernard fought a great fight,” he said. “He is a great champion. He has a really good defense and a lot of tricks. I’m a young fighter and I’m green. I was a young champion. These two fights [against Hopkins] will lead me to the next level. I learned a lot from Bernard and his style.”

Of course, neither fighter was near the end of his career.

Hopkins would lose his title to Chad Dawson by a majority decision in April 2012 but, remarkably, would win another major 175-pound belt by fairly easily outpointing Tavoris Cloud the following March – at 48.

Pascal is still active at 37 and as good as he ever was. He’s coming off consecutive upsets over Marcus Browne and Badou Jack. He evidently learned something from Hopkins: Age is only a number.

Promoter Bob Arum confirms target restart date of June 9

Promoter Bob Arum confirmed plans to stage a five-fight show behind closed doors on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN.

June 9. Mark it in your calendar.

Promoter Bob Arum confirmed to The Associated Press plans to stage a five-fight show behind closed doors on that date — a Tuesday — at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN, the first boxing card in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March.

And that would be only the first show to come in quick succession. Another card is set for June 11, also on ESPN. Arum plans to stage two shows a week through July.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has yet to approve the cards but Arum has worked closely with state officials in his planning. The regulatory body is scheduled to meet next week to rule the Top Rank shows and two UFC cards scheduled for Las Vegas.

Arum’s plans also are contingent on the opening of the MGM Grand and other hotels in Las Vegas, which is expected to take place the week of June, according to The Associated Press.

“Once we get those fights in and UFC gets its initial fights in, both of us will ask for additional dates,” Arum said. “The key was getting enough testing, and we’ve got plenty of testing in Nevada to hold our events.”

Who will be fighting on the cards? Featherweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson, who was scheduled to fight on a Top Rank card in March that was later canceled because of the pandemic, is expected to fight on the first show. No opponent has been selected.

“These will be the same guys we were going to have before to the extent possible,” Arum said. “Guys like Shakur Stevenson and others who would have been fighting on our cards.”

Arum said fighters and cornermen will be tested for COVID-19 twice a day and will stay on what he called a “bubble” floor at the MGM Grand. They will be allowed to leave only to eat at specified restaurants in the hotel and train at the Top Rank gym.

The goal of the twice-a-day testing is to avoid a positive test the night before the event, which occurred with UFC 249 on May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida.

“Our protocols will be much more stringent than UFC had in Florida,” Arum said. “In ours you would’ve have fighter testing positive the day of the fight or the day before.”

Golden Boy Promotions officials have mentioned a possible restart date of July 4 but they haven’t worked out the details. Promoter Eddie Hearn is shooting for a July restart in the U.K.