Articles

Bernard Hopkins A Man for All Seasons at Golden Boy Promotions

Published

5 years ago

July 21, 2015

It was a year ago in Las Vegas that Bernard Hopkins made a decision the boxing world would find out a little later on.

The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion nicknamed “Hard Nard” by some, put his weight behind Golden Boy Promotions. It came months after the company was blindsided by its CEO Richard Schaefer’s decision to leave. The final blow was that many fighters perceived under the Golden Boy banner were actually never signed.

An ambush of major proportions took part in May 2014, one rivaling Little Big Horn.

Instead of leaving Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya flailing in the water against a tidal wave, Philadelphia’s Hopkins met face to face with his former ring foe from East L.A. After hearing his side, Hopkins still stands strong with the Los Angeles-based promotion group. Even after offers of money from others.

“We didn’t talk on the phone, I met with Oscar. I think it was the last fight Canelo had in Vegas, I believe we talked in the room and we had a conversation. I had some questions about the business and how he felt and how he was committed to the business,” recalled Hopkins two weeks ago while in Los Angeles. “Do you quit, throw the towel in, or suck it up, tuck your chin in and take your shots and swing educationally, smartly. We’re fighters. We consider everything with patience and making the right move like on a chess board.”

Boxing seldom sees this kind of loyalty. Nor does it see this kind of grit outside of the ring. While one side is flaunting cash and gathering signatures on contracts, and allegedly falsely booking venues to stymie the competition, the two boxing partners are looking to go the distance.

Getting cash is not enough for Hopkins. He wants boxing to succeed.

“I’ve been there, I’ve done that and I’m here talking to you because I really want to do something. As a person that won the big fights and is here for the long haul,” Hopkins said. “They’re (PBC) not here for the long haul. I think they’re here for control like a dictator.”

More than a hundred prizefighters have signed with PBC and its affiliations. It’s a scenario that has repeated itself throughout the decades with various organizations and with the same results. But when someone passes cash, most fighters will take it. It’s hard to blame them because a pro boxer’s career doesn’t last long.

Loyalty is rare as a red diamond. But like a rare gem, it’s extremely valuable.

Hopkins has no regrets in staying with Golden Boy Promotions and refusing a financial offer from a rival company.

“When I spoke my piece I was offered a lucrative deal. I just didn’t sign it because I decided to go the other way. As we see what manifests now we understand what I was offered came to fruition. I chose to go with the fighter who has the fight in him for his personal battles that he knocked out and was victorious,” said Hopkins of refusing the rival company and staying with Golden Boy Promotions.

Recently, it was announced that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will fight Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas this coming November, probably in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions is veering toward a mega fight pay-per-view card. Hopkins is satisfied.

“I have an itch for right and for the underdog. And with the one that people want to bury. I learned how to navigate and to become what I have been against in time. It was never hard for me to make a decision. That it would be a decision not of emotions but what the future can be,” Hopkins said of his choice to stay with Golden Boy. “Two hall of famers that have been in the game and came from different directions. How can we miss and go wrong? No one in boxing business can match the credibility we have or can match Oscar and Bernard.”

Through thick and thin, fair weather or bad weather Hopkins chooses the fighter.

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David A. Avila

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

5 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

5 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

5 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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