Connect with us

Featured Articles

THINK TWICE ABOUT BERNARD HOPKINS

Published

on

Boxing has always fascinated laymen and intellectuals alike because it is a sport of high contrast, and contrast attracts the intellect, which always enjoys a good long stretch. Of all boxing’s contrasts, the most attractive of all is the contradiction between the sport’s physical surface and its spiritual depths. No fighter today represents this contradiction better than Bernard Hopkins.

If boxing were the brutal, physical sport so many take it to be, how could a forty-nine year old body compete? And not only compete, but dominate? Forty-nine is old for a golfer. Or, let’s take it further: forty-nine, truth be told, is old for a chess champion.

But forty-nine is not old, not really. In fact, forty-nine usually marks the very prime of a man’s life. Plato in The Republic said a man’s peak lasts from twenty-five until the age of fifty-five. The average age at which Nobel Prize-winning physicists make their discovery is forty-eight. Bernard Hopkins is no different from other men.

If boxing is no different from physics, that is –which is just what some have claimed. Plenty of writers have made grand comparisons between boxing and the artes liberales (grammar, rhetoric, logic; arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), but writers are prone to exaggeration –especially boxing writers. Norman Mailer called Muhammad Ali not only the world’s greatest athlete, but the most beautiful man alive. AJ Liebling, to do Archie Moore justice, compares him to Orson Welles and Winston Churchill, then, perhaps unsatisfied at stopping so short, throws in Faust and Ahab for good measure.

It’s an open secret that boxing writers wish they were boxers. Hemingway, Liebling, Mailer, Plimpton–they recount their meager experences in the ring with relish, and it’s hardly difficult to see through their stylized self-deprecation and appreciate that deep down, these men considered themselves fighters. And so they employ all the machismo of a champion promoting himself: they make grand claims and sweeping statements, they try to grab your ear with poetry, they move fluently between the incredible and the marvelous, and they announce themselves with rodomontade –anything –to make you notice –anything –to make you believe what they believe: I Am The Greatest!

Nor is this tendency toward hyperbole limited to members of the press corps. Managers, trainers, and above all boxing fans enjoy the same license with the truth, and delight in cheering on their imaginations as they run swift and wild. It’s enough to make you wonder whether the real sport is one of fists or words.

And here I am guilty of the very same pleasure, because all this is to say that for whatever high ideals I’ve espoused about boxing being foremost a cerebral or spiritual contest, I never fully believed it. There’s truth to it, no doubt –one would have to be a fool to believe boxing happened purely on the level of clay. But is boxing really an art? Is boxing really a science? Come now, don’t hold me accountable for my words –I was just having a bit of fun!

If boxing were truly an art –if boxing were truly a science –then a forty-nine year old man could stand atop his sport just as a forty-nine year old physicist could stand atop his field. If boxing were truly a discipline where mind conquered matter, then a forty-nine year old fistic artisan could defeat a thirty-year old force of nature. If boxing were as much about spiritual will as it is about size and speed, then an old man on a mission could overcome a young man with yeanling legs and hands of stone.

And so Bernard Hopkins has me thinking. Perhaps my verbal indiscretions were not so indiscreet? Perhaps what I always wanted to be true but never really believed, was true after all. Perhaps there’s a reason boxing never gets boring. Perhaps there’s a reason why boxing, like the Ocean, offers revelation after wonder to those who break beneath its surface and dive its depths. Perhaps boxing is a spiritual discipline –not metaphorically, not in part –but literally and wholly. Perhaps boxing is an art. Bernard Hopkins has me thinking.

He should have Sergey Kovalev thinking too. Because if Sergey’s not thinking, Sergey’s going to find himself on the wrong side of the mind-body problem –and as the sages attest: mind rises while bodies fall –which is just a grandiose way of saying that Sergey’s going down.

WATCH RELATED VIDEOS ON BOXINGCHANNEL.TV

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Featured Articles

A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

Published

on

A-Fresh-Face-on-the-Boxing-Scene-Bryce-Mills-Faces-His-Toughest-Test-on-Friday

“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.

Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.

The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.

Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.

That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.

“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.

Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.

***

DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading

Featured Articles

High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Published

on

High-Drama-in-Japan-as-'Amazing-Boy'Kenshiro-Teraji-Overcomes-Seigo-Yuri-Akui

Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16th world title fight.

This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.

A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.

Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.

By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.

Other Bouts of Note

Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.

Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.

In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.

Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading

Featured Articles

Keith Thurman Returns with a Bang; KOs Brock Jarvis in Sydney

Published

on

Keith-Thurman-Returns-with-a-Bang-KOs-Brock-Jarvis-in-Sydney

The combination of age and ring rust made Keith Thurman a tricky proposition against Brock Jarvis, but the 36-year-old Floridian, a former WBA and WBC world welterweight champion, had too much firepower for the overmatched Aussie, knocking out Jarvis in the third round tonight in Sydney and setting up a massive fight with Tim Tszyu.

Thurman’s career has been repeatedly interrupted with injuries. He missed all of 2023 and 2024 and this was only his second fight back since being out-pointed by Manny Pacquiao in 2019. He was slated to fight Tszyu in March of last year in Las Vegas with two 154-pound straps on the line, but pulled out with a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora who saddled the snakebit Tszyu with his first defeat.

Against Brock Jarvis, Thurman started slowly. The TV commentating team, which included Tszyu and Shawn Porter, had the busier Jarvis winning the first two rounds. But the savvy Thurman was simply “processing data” and found his grove in the third frame, smashing Jarvis to the canvas with a combination climaxed by a wicked uppercut. Jarvis staggered to his feet but was a cooked goose and the referee waived it off immediately when Jarvis hit the deck again after absorbing a harsh left hook. The official time was 2:19 of round three.

It was the second bad loss for Jarvis (22-2), a noted knockout puncher who had previously been stopped in the opening round by countryman Liam Paro. He hails from the Sydney suburb of Merrickville which also spawned Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech, Jarvis’s former trainer.

Thurman advanced to 37-1 with his twenty-third win inside the distance. According to Tszyu’s promoter George Rose, the match between Thurman and Tszyu will finally come to fruition on July 6, likely at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Broadbeach. That’s predicated on the assumption that Tszyu wins his next fight without complications which comes on April 6 against Minnesota’s 19-1 Joey Spencer at Newcastle, Australia.

Other Bouts of Note

Melbourne Middleweight Michael Zerafa, who also covets a match with Tim Tszyu, improved to 33-5 (21 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of Germany’s obscure Besir Ay (19-2) who was on the deck twice before the referee waived it off. This was the second fight back for Zerafa after getting pulverized by Erislandy Lara who stopped him in the second round in March of last year. Ay, 35, is recognized as the middleweight champion of Germany.

In a middleweight match slated for 10, Tim Tszyu’s longtime sparring partner Cesar Mateo bombed out Sergei Vorobev in the fifth round, ending the match with a spectacular one-punch KO. The 26-year-old Mateo (18-0-1, 11 KOs) is a native of Tijuana. Vorobev (20-3-2) is a 30-year-old Sydneysider born in Russia.

Thurman vs. Jarvis, a pay-per-view event in Australia, aired in the U.S. on a tape-delay on the PBC youtube channel.

Photo credit: Grant Trouville / No Limit Boxing

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

 

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Results-and-Recaps-from-Madison-Square-Garden-where-Keyshawn-Davis-KOed-Berinchyk
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Results and Recaps from Madison Square Garden where Keyshawn Davis KO’d Berinchyk

Lamont-Roach-Holds-Tank-Davis-to-a-Draw-in-Brooklyn
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Lamont Roach holds Tank Davis to a Draw in Brooklyn

Vito-Mielnicki-Hopes-to-Steal-the-Show-on-Froday-at-Madison-Square-Garden
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Vito Mielnicki Hopes to Steal the Show on Friday at Madison Square Garden

Greg-Haugen-1960-2025-was-Tougher-then-the-Toughest-Tijuana-Taxi-Driver
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Greg Haugen (1960-2025) was Tougher than the Toughest Tijuana Taxi Driver

Gene-Hackman's-Involvement-in-Boxing-Went-Deeper-than-that-of-a-Casual-Fan
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Gene Hackman’s Involvement in Boxing Went Deeper than that of a Casual Fan

The-Hauser-Report-Keyshawn-Davis-at-Madison-Square-Garden
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden

The-Hauser-Report-Riyadh-Season-and-Sony-Hall-Very-Big-and-Very-Small
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

The Hauser Report — Riyadh Season and Sony Hall: Very Big and Very Small

Friday-Boxing-Recaps-Observations-on-Conlan-Eubank-Bahdi-and-David-Jimenez
Featured Articles6 days ago

Friday Boxing Recaps: Observations on Conlan, Eubank, Bahdi, and David Jimenez

Lucas-Bahdi-Paid-His-Dues-Quite-Literally-and-Now-his-Career-is-Flourishing
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Lucas Bahdi Paid His Dues, Quite Literally, and Now his Boxing Career is Flourishing

Arnold-Barboza-Edges-Past-Jack-Catterall-in-Manchester
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Arnold Barboza Edges Past Jack Catterall in Manchester

Avila-Perspective-Chap-313-Global-Cooperation-Golden-Boy-and-Matchroom-Boxing
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 313: Global Cooperation — Golden Boy and Matchroom Boxing

Boxing-Odds-and-Ends-Mikaela-Mayer-on-Jonas-vs-Price-and-More
Featured Articles1 week ago

Boxing Odds and Ends: Mikaela Mayer on Jonas vs. Price and More

Avila-Perspective-Chap-315-Tank-Davis-Hackman-Ortiz-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 315: Tank Davis, Hackman, Ortiz and More

Oscar-Duarte-KOs-Miguel-Madueno-in-a-Battle-of-Mexicans-at-Anaheim
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

Two-Candidates-for-the-Greatest-Fight-Card-in-Boxing-History
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Two Candidates for the Greatest Fight Card in Boxing History

Early-Results-from-Riyadh-where-Hamza-Sheeraz-was-Awarded-a-Gift-Draw
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Early Results from Riyadh where Hamzah Sheeraz was Awarded a Gift Draw

Bivol-Evens-the-Score-with-Beterbiev-Parker-and-Stevenson-Win-Handily
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Bivol Evens the Score with Beterbiev; Parker and Stevenson Win Handily

Cain-Sandoval-KOs-Mark-Bernaldez-in-the-Featured-Bout-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Cain Sandoval KOs Mark Bernaldez in the Featured Bout at Santa Ynez

Price-Conquers-Jonas-on-an-All-Female-Card-at-Royal-Albert-Hall
Featured Articles7 days ago

Price Conquers Jonas on an All-Female Card at Royal Albert Hall

Avila-Perspective-Chap-314-A-Really-Big-Boxing-Show-in-Riyadh-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 314: A Really Big Boxing Show in Riyadh and More

A-Fresh-Face-on-the-Boxing-Scene-Bryce-Mills-Faces-His-Toughest-Test-on-Friday
Featured Articles13 hours ago

A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

High-Drama-in-Japan-as-'Amazing-Boy'Kenshiro-Teraji-Overcomes-Seigo-Yuri-Akui
Featured Articles20 hours ago

High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Keith-Thurman-Returns-with-a-Bang-KOs-Brock-Jarvis-in-Sydney
Featured Articles2 days ago

Keith Thurman Returns with a Bang; KOs Brock Jarvis in Sydney

Friday-Boxing-Recaps-Observations-on-Conlan-Eubank-Bahdi-and-David-Jimenez
Featured Articles6 days ago

Friday Boxing Recaps: Observations on Conlan, Eubank, Bahdi, and David Jimenez

Price-Conquers-Jonas-on-an-All-Female-Card-at-Royal-Albert-Hall
Featured Articles7 days ago

Price Conquers Jonas on an All-Female Card at Royal Albert Hall

Avila-Perspective-Chap-316-Art-of-the-Deal-in-Boxing-and-More
Featured Articles1 week ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 316: Art of the Deal in Boxing and More

A-Wide-Ranging-Conversation-on-the-Ills-of-Boxing-with-Author/Journalist-Sean-Nam
Featured Articles1 week ago

A Wide-Ranging Conversation on the Ills of Boxing with Author/Journalist Sean Nam

Boxing-Odds-and-Ends-Mikaela-Mayer-on-Jonas-vs-Price-and-More
Featured Articles1 week ago

Boxing Odds and Ends: Mikaela Mayer on Jonas vs. Price and More

Lamont-Roach-Holds-Tank-Davis-to-a-Draw-in-Brooklyn
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Lamont Roach holds Tank Davis to a Draw in Brooklyn

Dueling-Cards-in-the-UK-where-Crocker-Upended-Donovan-Controversially-in-Belfast
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Dueling Cards in the U.K. where Crocker Controversially Upended Donovan in Belfast

Avila-Perspective-Chap-315-Tank-Davis-Hackman-Ortiz-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 315: Tank Davis, Hackman, Ortiz and More

Gene-Hackman's-Involvement-in-Boxing-Went-Deeper-than-that-of-a-Casual-Fan
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Gene Hackman’s Involvement in Boxing Went Deeper than that of a Casual Fan

Greg-Haugen-1960-2025-was-Tougher-then-the-Toughest-Tijuana-Taxi-Driver
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Greg Haugen (1960-2025) was Tougher than the Toughest Tijuana Taxi Driver

Nakatani-Japan's-Other-Superstar-Blows-Away-Cuellar-in-the-Third-Frame
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Nakatani, Japan’s Other Superstar, Blows Away Cuellar in the Third Frame

The-Hauser-Report-Riyadh-Season-and-Sony-Hall-Very-Big-and-Very-Small
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

The Hauser Report — Riyadh Season and Sony Hall: Very Big and Very Small

Bivol-Evens-the-Score-with-Beterbiev-Parker-and-Stevenson-Win-Handily
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Bivol Evens the Score with Beterbiev; Parker and Stevenson Win Handily

Early-Results-from-Riyadh-where-Hamza-Sheeraz-was-Awarded-a-Gift-Draw
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Early Results from Riyadh where Hamzah Sheeraz was Awarded a Gift Draw

Cain-Sandoval-KOs-Mark-Bernaldez-in-the-Featured-Bout-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Cain Sandoval KOs Mark Bernaldez in the Featured Bout at Santa Ynez

The-Return-of-David-Alaverdian
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

The Return of David Alaverdian

Two-Candidates-for-the-Greatest-Fight-Card-in-Boxing-History
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Two Candidates for the Greatest Fight Card in Boxing History

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Advertisement