3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.
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By Cliff Rold - So much can change in boxing with a single point on the scorecards. No one knows that better than former unified light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev (30-2-1, 26 KO). With a little different luck one year ago, or maybe just better judging, Kovalev could have been in the driver’s seat. The results o...
The best strawweight in the world isn’t always a celebrated position. Ricardo Lopez, Ivan Calderon, and Roman Gonzalez all managed to exceed the reach of the 105 lb. division. Few others have been as lucky. It’s not that there haven’t been some great fights to achieve notice even without those names.
When the rematch of one’s biggest career win falls apart due to opponent injury, it can be assumed there is little worse to the ear. A whole training camp, and the check that goes with it, up in smoke. For Tony Bellew, the news that an injured David Haye won’t make their December 17th date doesn’t have to be a disaster. Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KO) seems to have no shortage of suitors. In interviews, the 34-year old former WBC cruiserweight titlist hasn’t sounded long for the game even before his upset of Haye in March.
Debate the competitive merits of boxing various belts all day. It’s a valid conversation. Their economic and life impacts remain. Case in point: IBF 115 lb. titlist Jerwin Ancajas (27-1-1, 18 KO). The 25-year old won his belt just more than a year ago, dominating then-undefeated Puerto Rican Olympian McJoe Arroyo at home in the Philippines.
By Cliff Rold - Yuandale Evans-Luis Rosa was one hell of a fight last Friday night. It was also 2017 in microcosm. Boxing is a gambler’s sport and many a gambler has enjoyed the thrill of the hot hand. There are times when the dice just keep coming up sevens, the Aces keep dropping on the Kings, and the slots keep coming...
Two year ago, Russian power puncher Artur Beterbiev appeared to be the most interesting rising, with a bullet, star in the light heavyweight division. Early knockout wins over former titlist Tavoris Cloud and Gabriel Campillo in less than ten fights was a hell of a start. Combine those names with a strong amateur pedigree that included two Olympic appearances and a World amateur championship; it was easy to see why hopes got high in a hurry.
By Cliff Rold - At heavyweight, the 20th century was the American century. Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Ali, Tyson, Holyfield…the list ran deep. There were occasional foreign intrusions, but the consistency of dominance was more so than any other nation in any other division. Nearly two decades into the 21st century, the story has been much different. Since the UK’s Lennox Lewis sei...
Devastating knockouts light a special fire in fight fandom. It doesn’t really matter who they come against. Maybe the guy across the ring is a great opponent; maybe they showed up looking scared to death or disinterested. The memory remains. Decades later, the path of destruction Mike Tyson left behind him in the 1980s still fuels an almost fanatical devotion in some. They’d rather watch an hour of Tyson steamrolling the Donnie Long’s of the world than watch the craft of a Leonard-Benitez.
Two years since his last fight in the ring, it’s a pleasure to note Bermane Stiverne has only put on a quarter of a pound since his win over Derric Rossy in November 2015. The bad news is that’s still fifteen sloppy pounds heavier than Stiverne was for the first Deontay Wilder fight where he lost pretty much every round and the WBC heavyweight belt. Stiverne has managed to get back to the mandatory spot without having to fight for it and it doesn’t appear he fought too hard for it in camp here.
By Cliff Rold - Few fans are all that excited. It’s not even clear the fighters are particularly pumped. Regardless, the rematch between WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne is happening this weekend (Showtime, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST). Wilder won almost every round the first time around. He...