By Marco Bratusch

Longtime Belgian ring official Phillippe Wouters is now back home. The 61-year-old ring official, who has conducted more than 500 bouts combined as referee and judge, contracted Covid-19 virus likely at the end of February.

After spending almost six weeks in a hospital in serious conditions – including a few days in a medically induced coma because of some complications – he eventually won his battle and was sent back home in Plainevaux, Belgium, early this week. The EBU board and his colleagues wish him a full recovery and to be back on the boxing stage again soon.

Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez are hunting a blockbuster unification rematch – and Estrada told Gonzalez in the first ever episode of ‘Peleamundo’, premiering this Sunday on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel, that he is confident of settling the score if the pair can meet again.

Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) and Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) both regained their World champion status in stunning fashion in recent outings, with Estrada beating Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a rematch to regain the WBC and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight belts last April and ‘Chocolatito’ rolling back the years to rip the WBA strap from previously unbeaten Brit Kal Yafai in Dallas in February with a clinical ninth round KO win. Continue reading “Estrada, Chocolatito talk up possible rematch”

Update: “I just had a very positive conversation with Mauricio Sulaiman, President of the WBC and confirmed to him directly my commitment to be a role model and my absolute rejection of discrimination of any kind!” –Devin Haney

No apology, but WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney has issued a brief statement on social media. “I’m not racist and I never will be a racist. I’m chasing greatness,” wrote Haney. The statement included an image of Floyd Mayweather with Haney’s image photoshopped in next to Floyd.

The World Boxing Council (Mauricio Sulaiman, Victor Silva, Xochitl Lagarda and Jill Diamond) closed the week by having an epic conversation with Mike Tyson. It was a fascinating, wide-ranging chat, full of anecdotes, humor and wisdom, discussing Cus D Amato, Muhammad Ali, pigeons, tattoos, hope, dreams, family and a treasure trove wealth of knowledge straight from the heart from one of the greatest and most spectacular heavyweights that boxing has produced.

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WBC lightweight champion in recess Devin Haney commented on a possible fight with WBA, WBO and WBC franchise lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko during an interview with 78SPORTSTV.

“I will never lose to a white boy in my life,” proclaimed Haney. “I don’t care what nobody else says. Can’t no white boy beat me any day of the week. Fight a white boy ten times and I’m gonna beat him ten times.”

Showtime Sports will continue to serve boxing fans during the current hiatus from live sports with replays of both Johnny Tapia vs. Paulie Ayala fights at 10PM ET/PT.
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Next week on Showtime: Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr. and Mickey Bey vs. John Molina Jr.
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ESPN has an eleven-hour boxing marathon on Saturday.
12PM Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman
1PM Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman
2PM Oscar De La Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez 1
3PM Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad
4PM Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns
4:30PM Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick
5PM Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes
5:30PM Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks
6PM Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay 1
7PM Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 1
9PM Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 2
10PM Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 3
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“PBC Replay” will feature a replay of the full televised card for the first Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares showdown on the PBC YouTube Channel on Saturday at 8PM ET/5PM PT.
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Management company LPMG Global recently added two world class fighters to its stable, IBF #5 super lightweight Anthony “Can You Dig it” Yigit (24-1-1, 8 KOs) and unbeaten super welterweight Emile “Swaggy Star” Kalekuzi (20-0, 14 KOs.
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Marcos Maidana posted a photo on Instagram of a tooth he turned into a piece of jewelry. He says he knocked that tooth out of the mouth of Floyd Mayweather.

By David Finger

Fightnews.com® is sad to report the passing of one of boxing’s most esteemed referees: Eddie Cotton of New Jersey. Cotton died on the morning of April 17th of COVID-19 after having been hospitalized for over a week. Cotton was highly regarded in the boxing community having refereed hundreds of high profile fights since the early 1990s. He is remembered as the third man in the ring for the infamous Riddick Bowe-Andrew Golata rematch in December of 1996, the final fight of George Foreman in November of 1997 (when Foreman lost a controversial decision to Shannon Briggs), the Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson fight in June of 2002, as well as world title fights involving Wladimir Klitschko, Gennady Golovkin, and Bernard Hopkins among others. Continue reading “Famed boxing ref Eddie Cotton dies of COVID-19”

WBC Talks continued with episode 17, but, this time with a very different theme, since the President of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaimán had a one-on-one talk with the former WBC champion, Julio César Chávez Jr.

Linked from Los Angeles, California, Julio was delighted to be able to connect with boxing fans and especially to be able to talk with the top leader of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaimán who he considers to be part of his family.

Julio spoke how he is living this quarantine with his wife and family awaiting the birth of their new son. Continue reading “WBC Talks: Julio César Chávez Jr.”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Legendary Hall of Fame referee Richard Steele, at 76, has been in the fight game most of his life – first as a fighter and then arguably the greatest referee in boxing history. Steele has seen it all in boxing and has been the 3rd man in the ring for some of the sport’s most iconic fights that are still talked about today, including Leonard-Hagler, Hagler-Hearns and Chavez-Taylor just to name a few.

But with the recent pandemic that has swept the world and has caused thousands of deaths and an economic shutdown, Steele, like most people, is stuck at home instead of making his daily trips to his Richard Steele Foundation & Boxing Club (https://richardsteelefoundation.org/) where he runs his various educational programs for at risk youth around N. Las Vegas plus a Parkinson’s program for those inflicted with the dreaded disease.

Fightnews.com® caught up with Steele this week as he now spends most days watching the Price is Right, Divorce Court, old basketball and football games and of course past classic fights that are being aired on various networks. Continue reading “Richard Steele Interview”