Former WBA, IBF, WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz officially joined Team Canelo to be trained by Eddy and Chepo Reynoso. Eddy himself published a video on @CaneloTeam Instagram account to welcome Ruiz, who faces a new stage in his career and intends to become world champion again, now with a different training team and in a new setting.

Ruiz was rumored to be joining Canelo’s team months ago. In fact, a few weeks ago, the fighter told WBA president Gilberto Jesús Mendoza through an Instagram Live that there were advanced talks. Continue reading “Andy Ruiz joins Team Canelo”

By Hesiquio Balderas

Marcos “Chino” Maidana is planning his comeback fight and is one of the fighters that is keeping himself in the public eye during this pandemic. Maidana recently did an Instagram live with WBA president Gilberto J. Mendoza and during the conversation, Marcos touched on different subjects including the Mayweather fights.

“I was nervous when I fought Floyd,” said Maidana. “I really couldn’t believe I was fighting him, but when the bell sounded all the nerves went away. I was able to focus and fight my fight and it was a good fight.” Their first fight took place on May 3, 2014 in Las Vegas. Continue reading “Maidana: Mayweather a dirty fighter, I have his tooth”

By Robert Coster

Boxing is coming back in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – as previously announced – on May 30th. The no-public, closed-door event promoted by Shuan Boxing, will have two WBA Fedelatin titles at stake. WBA #7, WBC #14, super flyweight Nolberto”Meneito” Jimenez ( 29-9-5, 16 KOs), will defend his belt against countryman Eliezer Aquino (21-4-1, 14 KOs).

Both men have already faced each other in a shoot-out in 2013 that ended in a technical draw in 5 rounds. This rematch between unorthodox stylist Jimenez and slugger Aquino should be a dandy as there is no love lost between the two boxers. Continue reading “Card is a go in Santo Domingo on May 30”

It doesn’t sound like IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev plans to step aside to allow a showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title.

“He can’t face Fury because he has signed a contract to fight me,” the 39-year-old Pulev told Sky Sports. “Besides, in this same contract there are clauses featuring some serious compensations (if the fight doesn’t happen). In the meantime, Fury has a contract for a third fight with Deontay Wilder. Neither me, nor Wilder will give up on these fights.”

Could a showdown for the undisputed heavyweight championship between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury be in the works? “There is keenness from our side and Fury’s side to go straight into it,” promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports, “but we are both under contract for different fights. No negotiations have taken place. Negotiations can’t take place until we know if Wilder will step aside and if Pulev will step aside…

“As it stands now Joshua’s next fight is Pulev and Fury’s next fight is Wilder. Could a deal be struck for them to step aside? Absolutely. Would we be willing to entertain it? Absolutely. Right now the focus is on the contracts we have signed, and the winners to fight in spring 2021.”

By Joe Koizumi

Boxing has almost disappeared all over the world. Reviewing the numbers of previous world title bouts in respective calendar years, this observer saw the least active years in 1918 through 1919 caused by World War I (which broke out in July 1914 and came to an end in November 1918) and the pandemic called “Spanish Flu” (lasting from January 1918 to December 1920; actually no relation to Spain). The H1N1 pandemic had some 500 million people infected, approximately a quarter of the world population at that time, with some 50 million deaths worldwide and about 675,000 passing in the US. Even in Japan of the Far East, we pitifully had 23 million infected through the first and second waves of the pandemic.

The New York Times, on October 13, 1918 (Section E, Page 7), described the influenza pandemic, “Boxing in the East is now at a standstill, because of the epidemic of Spanish influenza. Promoters in Philadelphia, Boston and New Jersey, in compliance with requests issued by their different Health Departments, have agreed to close up shop. How long the sport will be idle remains to be seen, but it is positive that no matches of any importance will be undertaken while the epidemic continues.”

A similar disastrous situation as today happened some one hundred years ago. Continue reading “Less activity in 1918 -1919 due to WWI, pandemic”

In one of the first interviews since his violent car accident from October 2019, unified WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. talks about the accident, his life in quarantine, his impending return to the ring and his ideal future opponents on Showtime’s “All the Smoke” show.

On training in quarantine…

“This pandemic really been helping me out a lot. Basically recovery, taking my time and getting back. I’m already back, I’m 100%…No restrictions in my training except sparring. I can’t spar yet because I got my teeth knocked out and they put three posts in my mouth. Once they heal, I get my permanent teeth and then I’ll be able to spar.” Continue reading “Spence: I should’ve lost my life that night”

Yes! The first live boxing card in over a month anywhere in the world took place Saturday night at the Polideportivo Alexis Arguello, Managua, Nicaragua. Fans were socially distanced in the arena and pretty much everyone except the fighters was required to wear a mask. Chocolatito Gonzalez was among those in attendance.

In the main event of the card presented by Bufalo Boxing Promotions, headed by former two-division world champion Rosendo “Bufalo” Alvarez, super featherweight Robin Zamora (16-7, 8 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision against Ramiro Blanco (18-8-3, 10 KOs). All three judges had it for Zamora with scores respectively 77-75 78-74 77-75. They previously fought last October with Zamora winning by TKO2.

Super lightweight Freddy Fonseca (28-5-1, 19 KOs) was victorious when opponent Alain Aguilar (8-8-2, 1 KO) didn’t answer the bell for round five. Fonseca fought current IBF super featherweight champion Jojo Diaz last year. Continue reading “Boxing Returns!! Results from Nicaragua”

By Robert Coster

Belgica Pena, CEO of Shuan Boxing Promotions, the top promoter in the Dominican Republic, has announced a televised closed-door event with the tentative date of May 30th. “Our boxers depend on being active to be able to economically sustain themselves and their family,” declared Belgica. “We are going through tragic, terrible times but we want our boxers to count on our support and, in turn, we hope to have the support of our sponsors and TV stations.”

She added that Shuan Promotion “has the full support of the WBA. All boxers and participants (judges, referees) will undergo the necessary tests to participate in the event. The date mentioned (May 30th) is tentative — we will obviously need the OK from the health authorities.”