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This Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, former junior middleweight champion Joachim Alcine, 35, will hit the crossroads of his long career. He faces a returning 22-year-old middleweight puncher, David Lemieux (25-1, 24KOs), for the WBC's International title. Lemieux himself has a lot to prove, returning for the first time since an April knockout loss to Marco Antonio Rubio.
British lightweight Kevin Mitchell (32-1, 24 KOs) watched his former foe John Murray take a beating from Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KOs) on Saturday night at New York's Madison Square Garden. Murray took a pounding until the fight was stopped in the eleventh round. Mitchell was the orginal opponent who was slated to face Rios on Saturday, but an issue with his visa prevented his participation, and Murray took his place.
WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (28-0-1, 21 KOs) is ready for action on Saturday night. He defends his title against British boxer John Murray (31-1, 18 KOs) on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito pay-per-view at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Adam Booth, the manager/trainer of former two division champion David Haye, has confirmed receipt of a contract to face WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on March 3 in Dusseldorf, Germany. After losing a twelve round decision to younger brother Wladimir Klitschko in July, Haye retired from boxing in the month of October, but promised to return if Vitali came around with a proper fight offer.
Former cruiserweight king Jean Marc Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs) is confident that he can provide IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (56-3, 49 KOs) with a formidable challenge on December 17th at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mormeck is coming off a stretch of inactivity, and he doesn't have the size or the power of a heavyweight. Some experts are calling the fight a dangerous mismatch, but Mormeck feels there are openings that he can exploit.
WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26KOs) is pushing harder than he's ever pushed in the past, to get WBO champ Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs) in the ring. Mayweather has a lock on the HBO date, May 5th, and the venue has been placed on hold - the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Plaza Mexico, Mexico City - Shortly after his stoppage victory over Kermit Cintron on Saturday night, WBC 154-pound champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (39-0, 29KOs) issued a challenge to the WBC's welterweight champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26KOs). Mayweather already has an HBO return date scheduled for May 5, Cinco De Mayo weekend and the Mexican holiday would bloom dollar bills if Canelo was facing Mayweather on the date. The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is set aside for Mayweather's next fight.
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is currently negotiating with at least two investment groups who are interested in staging a welterweight mega-unification between champions Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to Arum, Pacquiao's agent, Michale Koncz, is also involved in the negotiations.
Welterweight contender Jo Jo Dan (29-2) took some punishment in his rematch with Selcuk Aydin, which took place on Saturday night in Trabzon, Turkey. Aydin (23-0), the WBC's silver champion, won a twelve round unanimous decision at a packed Spor Salonu. Dan was knocked down twice by Aydin, in the first and 11th rounds. Aydin won their first meeting 17 months, by way of a controversial split decision. This time there was little to no controversy.
WBA interim-super middleweight champion Brian Magee is possibly going to face Rudy Markussen in Denmark in late January, says manager Pat Magee. The winner gets the mandatory shot at WBA champion Karoly Balzsay. Magee's manager is working out the details. With or without Markussen, Magee is going to fight at the end of January.