Articles

The “Money” Has Landed; Floyd and Chino Arrive At MGM

Published

10 years ago

September 10, 2014

The Sweet Science

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, MARCOS MAIDANA
AND “MAYHEM” UNDERCARD FIGHTERS MAKE GRAND ARRIVALS
AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS

Photo Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME^®

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/Mayweather Promotions

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 9, 2014) – “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” fight week is officially here as Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Marcos “El Chino” Maidana and all the fighters in the SHOWTIME PPV^® and SHOWTIME^® televised action Saturday made their grand arrivals at a jam-packed lobby at MGM Grand this afternoon.

Here is what the fighters had to say upon their arrivals in Las Vegas Tuesday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 11-time, Five-division World Champion

“It’s all about excitement. Saturday is about giving the fans what they want to see. It could be round one or round 13, but it’s all about the fans.

“I’m pretty sure Maidana is going for the knockout. I’m going for the knockout so this is going to be an amazing show. I have a brilliant game plan and we’ll see how it plays out Saturday.

On what the fans should expect Saturday: “Blood, sweat and tears.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former Welterweight World Champion

“It feels great to be back here. I’m planning on winning on Saturday and I’d like to dedicate my future victory to all my fans out there, especially to all my Latino fans. “I have 12 more rounds to finish the job, that’s what I’m here for. I’m well prepared and ready to show that Mayweather isn’t all that everyone thinks he is.

“When I first analyzed Mayweather I thought he would be too fast to hit. But that wasn’t the case during the fight, I was able to hit him and keep him against the ropes and I plan on doing the same thing again.

“I’m definitely going to look for the knockout like I always do but I will take the victory any way I can.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, Two-Division World Champion

“I know Roman is a great fighter and he throws good punches. I can’t look past him and we had one of the hardest camps I’ve had and are very ready.

“Fighters like Roman are dangerous. They come with everything and sometimes they surprise you. We don’t underestimate anybody and we always come ready. We train harder and for longer and with more routines than ever.

“I know Roman boxes very well and has good defense. It might be hard to knock him out but we train very hard to stop him before the 12^th round.

“Hopefully we get the victory and we can fight Rigondeaux and make that happen. If not, hopefully Frampton or Scott Quigg.”

MANUEL ROMAN, Super Bantamweight Contender

“We’re here to try to disappoint Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday. I’ve been working out very hard three times a day and also focusing on strength and conditioning.

“Nothing worries me. I know myself, I’m ready. He’s just a great fighter who throws a lot of punches, but I’m a better boxer.

“I’ve known Leo for a while, we used to train together and that builds my confidence up. I’m a great counter-puncher and he’s a slugger and I think that works to my advantage.”

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ, IBF Lightweight World Champion

“I’m very happy and excited to be on such a big important card and I’m ready to get the win.

“I’m the champion and this is my night. I’m here to win and they will have to take it from me. I don’t care who I fight, I’m going to win.

“I’m motivated because I know all the Mexicans are here to support me and it’s going to be a great fight.”

MICKEY BEY, Lightweight Contender

“I take each fight one at a time, that’s how boxing is. Even once this huge fight is over, I’m focusing on my next fight the following day. Boxing is fight to fight and you must be focused for every opponent; each fighter is its own experience.

“The preparation for this fight has been night and day different than from my loss [against John Molina Jr.]. The stuff that Floyd Mayweather Sr. had me doing was crazy. Floyd Sr. has trained plenty of champions and comes from the Ray Robinson and Joe Louis school of training.

“Training for a championship fight is different than training for any fight I’ve had in the past. You have everything at your disposal, including numerous sparring partners. I probably sparred with eight different fighters for this camp.

“I just need to do what I’ve been doing in the gym. If I fight the way I’ve been looking in the gym, then Miguel Vazquez won’t have a chance against me. Honestly, I think I’m better than him at everything. He’s a smart good fighter but he can’t match anything that I can do. He has experience, but none of his wins have been impressive. I have more speed, power and defense.”

ALFREDO ANGULO, Middleweight Contender

“I am ready to be back in the ring and I am happy to see all these people and to be back in Las Vegas.

“It’s a very important and dangerous fight for me. De La Rosa is a good fighter but I will fight anybody they put in front of me.

“I’m going to stay focused on this fight. It’s one fight at a time. I’m focused on Saturday and then we’ll see what comes after.”

JAMES DE LA ROSA, Middleweight Contender

“I feel really good and ready to put on a show Saturday night. It’s really important for me to boost back up my career and get back to where I want to be.

“There’s no pressure on me at all. I’m just going to go up there and give him his third straight loss.

“Training camp is going very well. This fight could not have come at any better time. There are a lot of things that I can do to pull off the upset. His style is slow so I just need to have the higher output. He’s there to get hit.”

HUMBERTO SOTO, Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’m very happy to return to Las Vegas and to represent Mexico here.

“I’m calm and relaxed because of my preparation. I’m always the underdog but I end up winning.

“Like all true Mexicans we always fight with our heart and give our all. I’m going to do my part and make sure all the fans get a great fight.”

JOHN MOLINA JR., Junior Lightweight Contender

“I’m looking forward to going out there and giving the fans a great show.

“It’s a beautiful feeling to be here and I’ll never let my fans down. Come Saturday night you will see another great fight.

“Soto demands my undivided attention. I think the fans already know that me and Lucas Matthysse have to do it again.”

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV^® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise experienced Humberto Soto against John Molina Jr. in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

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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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