Madrimov vs. Walker: Inviting Tragedy
By Caryn A. Tate on August 18, 2020
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Fighters are hard-pressed to admit that they’re hurt. (photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)
Even when proper precautions are taken, sometimes there can still be a negative outcome. But what about when there are clear warning signs that go unheeded, such as in Walker’s case? It’s inviting a tragic outcome… READ MORE
Herring retains title via DQ over Oquendo
By Robert Ecksel on September 5, 2020
The champ intended to box, while the challenger came to brawl. (Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
“I wasn’t too satisfied with my performance, to be honest with you,” said Herring after the fight. “I didn’t want it to end like that. I’m disappointed with the outcome. But my team felt it was too much. So we just had to stop it or whatever…” READ MORE
Jack Johnson vs. Arthur Cravan: Who's your Dada?
By Robert Ecksel on January 31, 2023
Craven disappeared without a trace in 1918, presumably drowned at sea at the age of 31.
Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia, among others, expressed their admiration, and André Breton crowned Cravan a precursor of Dadaism, an art movement that flourished from 1915 to 1922, before ceding the stage to surrealism… READ MORE
Interview with Lucas Ketelle, Author of Inside the
January 16, 2023
“It was the fighters I hung out with,” Ketelle said. “It was the fighters who embraced me. The media didn’t…”
December 5, 2022
The fight was an impressive victory for Saracho who seemed not the least bit winded or tired. He is ready to step up his game in the next fight...
Canelo mutes haters, beats Golovkim
September 21, 2022
The army of haters who targeted Canelo is quiet for the moment. But it won’t last. There’s plenty out there to hate, almost as much as there is to love…
No More Auction Block for Thee
August 26, 2022
Do yourself a favor. Save your money. Wait for Mike Tyson’s version of his life story, assuming it materializes, assuming you haven’t seen it already…
Houston, we've had a problem
August 27, 2022
Two women filed lawsuits in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week alleging Foreman sexually abused them in the 1970s when they were minors…
If Not This Year, Then Maybe Next
September 3, 2022
There is an iciness about her that keeps others at a distance. Don’t tread on me. She occasionally looks up and eyes the gym with a cold stare…
September 5, 2022
Joshua was intercepted before he entered the tunnel. Cooler heads prevailed. They convinced him to return to the ring. It seemed like a good idea at the time…
September 19, 2022
The fight was an impressive victory for Saracho who seemed not the least bit winded or tired. He is ready to step up his game in the next fight...
July 12, 2022
Daniel Garcia, a true Philly fighter, is a quiet modest man and is financially secure enough that he does not have to fight out of desperation to pay his bills…
July 27, 2022
Sweat drips from under his headgear, drips in rivulets down his cheeks and dribbles over his chin. His t-shirt is soaked and clings to his body...
August 8, 2022
Staying in a plush hotel with good food is a new experience, something exciting, something to tell the kids when he becomes an old man. “Every boy should box…”
August 21, 2022
Big guys at a boxing match always remind me of the Do Son buffalo fighting contests in Vietnam. Andy Ruiz (34-2-0) and Luis Ortiz (33-2-0) are two such buffalos…
August 25, 2022
Grisham recalled Don King’s visit and thought it memorable. It wasn’t because he was black, rare though that was thereabouts, but because he had a gun…
May 17, 2022
The best of today’s boxers are technical wizards. What many of them lack is guts. They are too careful with their opponents and too cautious in the fight...
Cota Disgusted at Opponent Selection
May 21, 2022
Cota is what is called a reliable professional opponent, always puts up a good fight and, against top opponents, often loses. He never disappoints in the ring…
May 22, 2022
Benavidez spent time covering up on the ropes but it seemed he was just killing time to prolong the fight. Lemieux’s corner tossed in the towel in round 3…
June 5, 2022
He read “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” the story of Rocky Graziano, and then saw the movie starring Paul Newman. He was hooked. He wanted to box...
The smaller they are, the harder they fall
June 12, 2022
Bigger is not always better. Bigger debts, bigger headaches, and bigger you name it are a few examples which question the bigger is better proposition…
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April 22, 2022
The one-time “Baddest Man on the Planet” has tamed the beast, which took some doing, turning the ferocious man-eater into the pussycat we know today…
The Fight Game Always Rings Twice
March 18, 2022
“Well, the Dempsey-Firpo fight lasted less than two rounds, didn’t it? It’s not how long it lasts. It’s what you do while you’re in there…”
March 25, 2022
The bouts in Bellevue were first class and competitive and not the usual blather of mismatches usually found on such shows…
Stuffing the Dynamite with Powder
April 23, 2022
Reynolds has been training at the new Moreno Gym in Auburn, Washington. The gym is a state-of-the-art facility featuring everything a boxer needs including housing…
May 4, 2022
The one-time “Baddest Man on the Planet” has tamed the beast, which took some doing, turning the ferocious man-eater into the pussycat we know today…
Red Alert! Cruising with Canelo
November 18, 2021
Reynoso failed to mention that Showtime, PBC, and David Benavidez were thrown under the bus. But boxing turns the page like a speed-reader on meth...
November 15, 2021
“Breadman" told Davis, “He (Benavidez) just shot his load this round a little bit.” But the uppercuts he landed at the start of the fifth suggested otherwise…
Rock 'n' Roll: Crawford vs. Porter
November 20, 2021
Porter will get in his licks, and his elbows, head, and whatnot. He’s an expert at throwing opponents off their game. But Crawford is in a class of his own..
November 22, 2021
He may or may not be the greatest fighter alive, there’s a redhead down in Mexico who’s in the running, but Crawford’s boxing IQ is off the charts…
Gessuri Brito—Episode 5—From Prospect to Opponent
March 15, 2022
Now, having been down twice in three fights including a knockout, is the career over? One thing is certain...
November 10, 2021
With the victory, Canelo has become the world’s first undisputed champion at super middleweight, as well as the first undisputed champion in Mexican history…
October 31, 2021
Boxers are constantly screwed. Chicanery in the game seems to be the normal. Jose Benavidez was not going to let that happen to his boys…
It's Showtime: Benavidez vs. Davis
November 13, 2021
Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez returns to his birthplace to get it on with late replacement Kyrone Davis…
November 14, 2021
Benavidez tried his best. He had to lose about 70 pounds of candy and chips for the fight. Hours spent watching “Days of our Lives” were difficult to shed…
November 15, 2021
Benavidez brought nothing new to the fight. There is nothing new he can bring unless he grows another arm. He is a complete fighter…
September 20, 2021
We haven’t seen the last of Manny Pacquiao. Hopefully he’ll achieve his political goals and save his country if not the world…
September 10, 2021
He looks old. He looks slow. He looks unsteady. He looks like a great former champion who has no business fighting, even an 8-round exhibition with 2-minute rounds...
Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant Preview
September 22, 2021
Having turned pro at the tender age of 15, he is now a seasoned veteran at 31 and a beautiful boxing creation, thanks in no small part to his trainer Eddy Reynoso…
Holyfield Humbled, Wants Tyson Next
September 12, 2021
“For me to be able to compete with Holyfield is a dream.” The dream doesn’t stop there, however. Vitor Belfort has other plans…
September 19, 2021
He has been accused of being lazy, combative, uninterested, unmotivated, and a general pain-in-the ass. He is all of that and much more…
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Gessuri Brito—Episode 4—Why Boxing?
August 15, 2021
Almost anyone can learn to box. Work is the difference between success and mediocrity; work and luck and things inside a person that cannot be taught...
Scouting Report: Keon Papillion
July 23, 2021
“I got started in boxing through my dad,” he said. “I didn’t want to do it at first because he kind of forced me to do it at a young age. I quit to go play other sports...”
August 27, 2021
The 17,000 fans at T-Mobile knew it. The millions watching at home knew it. Even Manny knew it, or so he said, or managed to not quite say in so few words...
Sonny Liston Meets the Beatles
August 30, 2021
The Beatles wanted to meet heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, not “that loudmouth who’s going to lose,” in the words of John Lennon…
September 3, 2021
He is 48. He hasn’t fought in a dozen years. He’s toyed with idea, both privately and publicly, as former champions do. But De La Hoya was serious...
March 29, 2021
The decision for a young boxer to go pro is partially made for boxers in the United States. The law does not say how old he can be but how young he cannot be…
March 24, 2021
Many of the best fighters are not champions and many champions are little more than contenders. Not being a champion may be a convenient excuse to avoid a fight…
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Whyte Stops Povetkin in Rematch
March 27, 2021
His punch resistance isn’t nearly where it should be; and like all older athletes, his physical reflexes are too slow to match what his mind recognizes needs to be done…
The "Habanero Kid,"Luis Gallegos, Wins First Victory
May 10, 2021
The hand wraps feel good, just enough padding and tension. You are here to establish your dominance…
Scouting Report: Floyd Schofield
May 30, 2021
“[I most enjoy] boxing on the inside,” Schofield said. “It's more fun for me. It makes my fights more entertaining, and (there’s) better action when I fight on the inside…”
Jose Benavidez Sr.: Thank God for One More Day
March 10, 2021
“They didn’t have a childhood. I regret that now, because that wasn’t what I wanted, but I was just trying to make them better. I wanted them to be strong in life…”
Estrada Wins Split Decision Over Gonzalez in Thrilling Rematch
March 13, 2021
Estrada vs. Gonzalez was a lot like any historically great, elite level fight between evenly matched fighters...
Benavidez Punishes Game Ronald Ellis
March 15, 2021
“I want all the big guys, and as you can see, I love throwing punches and I love stopping people. Me against any of the big names would be a great fight…”
Vergil Ortiz Stops Maurice Hooker in 7, Calls Out Crawford
March 21, 2021
It was just the type of fight Ortiz needed at this point in his career before he moves on to higher level opposition…
Claressa Shields: First Boxer to Win Undisputed Titles in 2 Divisions
March 5, 2021
It was a tremendous performance by Shields, who at 25 years old, continues to improve fight after fight...
Dirrell Fights Davis to a Split Draw
February 28, 2021
Davis started out well, light on his feet and moving laterally. At times he tried to initiate some rough stuff, but Dirrell isn't called "The Dog" for nothing...
Turkey Shoot: Canelo Clobbers Yildirim
February 28, 2021
Yildirim must have had a game plan in mind going in. But whatever the game plan might have been, it was abandoned at the first hard shot Canelo landed...
March 3, 2021
One is always too cold to know how cold it is in Montana. Once the temperature drops to the level of tree limbs cracking in half, what difference does the cold make?
Claressa Shields Makes Her Own Way
March 5, 2021
Claressa wants to challenge herself as a combat athlete, but the difference in how these sports treat their female athletes is the primary motivator…
Jalapeño Popper—Episode 3—Debut
March 5, 2021
That first walk to the ring must feel like it takes forever. The crowd in Great Falls, Montana, was anxious for a fight, any kind of activity that would let them out of the house…
David Benavidez, a Hawk Seeking a Meal
February 14, 2021
After Benavidez beat Dirrell he has been calling out Caleb Plant. Plant has responded with a tweet-full of excuses. “He acts like a woman on twitter,” said Benavidez…
Adrien Broner, Falling in Love Again
February 19, 2021
Since love is war and love is blind and love is a four-letter word and a losing game, Broner professing his newfound love almost makes a weird kind of sense…
Catch and Counter with Caryn: Berchelt vs. Valdez
February 19, 2021
It’s a highly anticipated bout, coming at a particularly opportune time for boxing fans—there has been a lull in the sport in recent months as far as high profile fights go…
Oscar Valdez KOs Miguel Berchelt
February 20, 2021
Valdez showed a whole other layer of his skills tonight. He boxed beautifully, utilizing angles, feints, showing different looks, and showing incredible intelligence in the ring…
Uninspired Broner Outpoints Santiago
February 21, 2021
“Broner did a nice job in there. The decision could have gone both ways. He fought a great fight. We were in it to win this fight and he got the decision…"
February 13, 2021
He looked great tonight. Marinez didn’t come to lose, but he just wasn’t able to hang with Commey, a strong fighter who packs a punch and has good fundamentals…
February 7, 2021
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, the one-time Olympic gold medalist, started Muhammad Ali on his long goodbye on February 15, 1978...
February 4, 2021
Brito stayed in Washington. With David Benavidez, Abraham Martinez, and Jose Valenzuela training in Big Bear for future fights the gym here feels fairly empty…
Plant Puts on Clinic Against Game Caleb Truax
January 30, 2021
The angles Plant used were absolutely beautiful—he nearly always ensured he could get off with whatever he wanted while keeping Truax from letting his hands go …
February 5, 2021
He has always been an in-your-face kind of fighter, a non-stop banger exciting to watch. He will exhaust an opponent by walking him down. He also hits very hard...