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Camp Notes From Bradley And Alexander

Published

12 years ago

January 12, 2011

The Sweet Science

Devon Alexander ‘The Great’ Training Camp Notes

Part 1

Camp Location: I am training in Las Vegas for this fight. While I have trained here before when I fought out of the Cory Spinks camp, for my last two fights my promoter, Don King, allowed me to live in the home where Mike Tyson lived when he trained in Vegas. I love it. It gives me inspiration to know I’m sleeping in the same bed “Iron” Mike slept in when he trained here.

Training Regimen: My trainer, Kevin Cunningham, took me up to the mountains outside Las Vegas last year to a little ski resort at the top of Mt. Charleston to run. I call it ‘The Monster’ and its one of my biggest challenges while training. I have to face and conquer it three times a week, and with snow on the ground now, it has become much tougher.

Every day, we go out for a six-mile run in the morning, and then head to the gym in the afternoon. My workouts include shadow boxing, mitt work, heavy bag, speed bag, sparring and jumping rope. I average 30 rounds per day in the gym, Monday through Saturday. And on the seventh day, I rest.

Diet: Basically as far as meat, I only eat salmon, tilapia, turkey breast and chicken breast. The rest of it is fruits and vegetables. It’s just fuel for me. I want to eat what will make me perform best.

Personal sacrifice: Eating light is not my only sacrifice during this training camp. Due to this fight being in January, I’ve had to give up the holidays with my friends and family back in St. Louis, which is hard. My kids will wake up on Christmas day without dad being there. I was in the gym on Christmas. Come January 29, that’s something else that Tim Bradley is going to have to pay for. I think about that every day.

Timothy ‘Desert Storm’ Bradley Training Camp Notes

Part 1

Camp Location: I am back in Indio, Calif., where all of my camps have taken place. I have never found the need to go anywhere else as my family is not a distraction and does not get in the way of how my camp goes. My family is what keeps me strong. If I had to go somewhere else, I would not be able to focus the way I do because I would be worrying about them.

Training regiment: My training is Monday through Saturday and consists of running 45 minutes daily, sparring a few times during the week, strength training twice a week, and most of all doing my best to execute the plan.

Diet: My diet consists of grains, vegetables, and my protein sources come from tofu, tempeh, beans and nuts. Turning vegetarian for every training camp is nothing new for me. In fact, it is something that has worked for me for the past two years. Other fighters are even trying this now, so this just puts me ahead of the game.

Personal Sacrifice: This year did not feel much like Christmas because I am so focused for January 29th. I don’t really consider it a personal sacrifice because this is my job. I know what I have ahead of me. But my personality was not in the Christmas spirit like every other year and know that I had to set mind up for this. But even though this was the first Christmas I had to work, the real gift will be coming on Jan. 29th.

WBC super lightweight champion Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs), of St. Louis, and WBO junior welterweight champion Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs), of Palm Springs, collide in “The Super Fight,” Saturday, January 29, at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. Their world title unification will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Remaining tickets, priced from $25-$400, can be purchased at the Silverdome box office, by calling (248) 338-2500 or online at www.silverdometickets.com. Alexander vs. Bradley is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Don King Productions, and Thompson Boxing Promotions.

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2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

7 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

7 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

7 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

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