Articles

Abraham Says, “We'll Celebrate Our Win Saturday”

Published

13 years ago

May 9, 2011

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside Super Six World Boxing Classic
RETURNS TONIGHT on SHO EXTREME at 10 P.M. ET/PT;
SEMIFINALISTS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES:
WARD, ABRAHAM, FROCH, JOHNSON
Ward-Abraham This Saturday on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT;
Froch-Johnson June 4 Live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (May 9, 2011) – FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside the Super Six World Boxing Classic returns TONIGHT/Monday with episode nine on SHO Extreme® at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Last Saturday, May 7, the four Semifinalists in the Super Six World Boxing Classic on SHOWTIME® participated in a press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinals will begin this Saturday, May 14 (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) when undefeated Andre Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight world title against former world champion Arthur Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

On Saturday, June 4 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) the Seminfinals will continue when Carl Froch (27-1, 20 KOs) risks his World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Middleweight title against Glen Johnson (51-14-2, 35 KOs) at Adrian Philipps Ballroom of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

What they said Saturday.

KEN HERSHMAN (Executive Vice President/General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports)

“The Super Six has been a long and winding road and it’s had its bumps in the road but that was the idea, to see which fighter would persevere through a series of major fights against the best competitors. The Super Six was designed to pit the best super middleweights in the world against one another and come out with one winner.

“The Super Six has been a topic of conversation the last couple years and that's what boxing needs: longevity. These fighters’ names have been in the headlines from fight to fight because each bout has so many implications, so much relevance. When Andre fights Arthur, it’s not just about those fighters. It’s about how that fight affects Carl, how it affects Glen. The tournament also gets rid of the myth that a loss on a fighter’s record is a big deal. When the best fight the best, someone is going to lose.

“Arthur Abraham is the epitome of what this tournament stands for. He was the heavy favorite after a dramatic knockout over Jermain Taylor. But after two setbacks, he never gave up and I expect we will see a tremendous performance from Arthur on May 14.?? “They call Glen Johnson the road warrior. And he is a warrior but more importantly, a tremendous person. After a decade at light heavyweight, he dropped the weight, looked good, looked young and won his first Super Six fight with a big knockout against Allan Green, whom no one had ever knocked out before. ??“Carl Froch is a tremendous champion. Look at his road in the Super Six. He had a dramatic win in a close fight against Andre Dirrell, then he lost to Mikkel Kessler, and there's no shame in that; Kessler is a tremendous fighter. But then he came back with the fight of his life against Abraham.?? “At the beginning of the tournament, people thought Andre Ward was untested and young. But look how we have we seen him rise to become the tournament favorite.?? “Putting five promoters in a room is my worst nightmare. But it launched FIGHT CAMP 360°, which has produced some great television. Thanks (to all the boxers for) their commitment.”

ANDRE WARD

“I think Carl showed us a good blueprint (against Abraham) but I’m going to do it my own way.

“I’m very desperate, too. I don’t think people understand that. I try to train with a sense of urgency. Whether Abraham had beat Carl Froch in convincing fashion or if he was in the situation he is now with two losses, I would still train the same. I train until it hurts.

“I want to thank SHOWTIME just for the opportunity. Outside of this tournament, I can guarantee I wouldn’t have been able to fight the best back-to-back-to-back. It’s also a great burden because you have to fight the best.

“A lot of people use the term ‘favorite’ very loosely. But I don’t consider myself the favorite because I haven’t gotten my just dues yet. I train with a chip on my shoulder because there is more to prove. There is still plenty of work to be done.

“When I prepare for Arthur Abraham, I train for the best Arthur Abraham. I take being the WBA champion very seriously. I respect every fighter in the sport and I train for every fight accordingly.”

DAN GOOSSEN (Ward’s promoter)

“We’ve been trying to get our way through this Super Six. I think it’s one of the greatest innovations in our sport. When you have so much talent in this division, it was certainly the right place at the right time.

“The great thing about this tournament is it started out with six great fighters so we forgave losses. In the Super Six, that is the opportunity. The best fighters face the best so a loss doesn’t ruin your career.

“Most Olympic Gold Medalists have become the future stars of our sport. Andre is dedicated. He works too hard to disappoint anyone.”

ARTHUR ABRAHAM

“I really have to thank SHOWTIME for what they did with this tournament. The people want to see the best in the weight division fighting each other and we have four of them in the Semifinals.

“The four best super middleweights in the world are left in the Semifinals and I’m here to win. I’m not the favorite but I’ll fight to the end. We’ll celebrate our win on Saturday.”

CARL FROCH

“I must say that this is the best tourney ever created in world boxing. The Super Six matches the best fighters in the 168-pound division from start to finish. I expect to see two of the original six in the final. While it’s not the be all to end all, at least in my opinion, to reach the final, I still know that I will be in the final.

“There is no reason to bad-mouth at this stage in the game. We are all proven champions. Glen Johnson may be 42 but top level fighters nowadays are not spring chickens. We go on and on.

“I think it’s fantastic what SHOWTIME is doing for the sport. Without them, fans would be robbed of not only the Super Six matches but all fights that are being put on in the sport.

“I’m on my way and training well. I’m sharp, eating well, feeling well and feeling strong. I’ll be there boxing in the final. To win would be without a doubt, minus the birth of my son, the proudest moment of my life to lift that trophy.’’

GLEN JOHNSON

“When SHOWTIME first put together the Super Six, I wished I was a super middleweight. I had to wait a year and when the opportunity came to enter the tournament, I jumped all over it.

“It’s going to be a great fight. I have a lot of respect for Carl. I saw him fight a few times previously and I know this is going to be a great fight.”

LOU DIBELLA (Johnson’s Promoter)

“This is going to be a terrific fight. It could be anyone’s contest. The favorite changes consistently. Three or four times the favorite has already changed. The rise of SHOWTIME Sports and the relationship it has with CBS creates great competition and that is good for the sport of boxing.

“Johnson has had a tremendous career. To be able, after 10 years fighting at 175 pounds, to fight now at 168 pounds is a testament to him. I know this is going to be a great fight no matter who wins, even though Carl’s the favorite.’’

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The Sweet Science

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

8 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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Articles

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

Published

8 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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Articles

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

Published

8 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”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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