3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.
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By Cliff Rold - Even after a month where boxing might as well have been on hiatus, enthusiasm for this weekend’s return of modern legend Manny Pacquiao is muted. Maybe it’s the 60-some dollar price tag. Maybe it’s the opponent. Maybe it’s just that, after fifteen years as a fixture in the US market, some fans have moved on from Pacquiao against a perceptually ordinary opp...
25-year old Jr. featherweight Cesar Juarez (19-5, 14 KO), 122, of Mexico City, Mexico, won his second straight on Saturday night at the Auditorio Municipal in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico, scoring a knockdown en route to a ten round unanimous decision over 26-year old Richard Pumicpic (18-8-2, 6 KO), 122, of Pasay City, Manila, Philippines. The referee was Arturo Jota.
by Cliff Rold - Most boxing fans in the States probably won’t be tuning in. Boxing has all but gone dark in October and a clash between faded former titlists isn’t likely to turn the dial from a riveting World Series or the college football slate. For those who must have their boxing though, this independent pay...
By Cliff Rold - Fights make sense in a certain time and place. In 2001, after Bernard Hopkins defeated Felix Trinidad, a rematch with then-light heavyweight kingpin Roy Jones made all the sense in the world. It was a rematch that no one knew they really wanted until then. Sure, it had come up before, but it...
21-year old Luis Nery (21-0, 15 KO), 118, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, scored his second straight impressive knockout on Saturday night at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, scorching 29-year old former flyweight and Jr. bantamweight title challenger Richie Mepranum (31-6-1, 8 KO), 118 ¼, of Maasim, Sarangani, Philippines, in just two rounds. It was the fourth, and quickest, stoppage loss of Mepranum’s career.
Heavyweight: These rankings recognize the lineal champion of a division as the true champion. In the case of Tyson Fury, that creates a quandary. Fury has abdicated all of his alphabet titles, has failed multiple drug tests, and may not fight again anytime soon. TBRB recognizes this as a legitimate vacating of the genuine heavyweight title. However, his promoters have made reference to his eventual return and that he will still be the lineal champion. As a heavyweight, it’s not like there is another division for him to announce he’s fighting in so this isn’t a case where he is moving up or down for good. As Fury has not retired, and inactivity doesn’t apply to the champion’s slot, that makes him still a technically active fighter and thus, technically, still the legitimate historical champion.
By Cliff Rold - Well, a big heavyweight announcement is made. Unfortunately, it’s not the one anyone cared about. There is still no final word on whether Wladimir Klitschko will challenge Anthony Joshua before year’s end. Fingers remain crossed. In the meantime, interim WBA titlist has found a network home for his next appearance. He will be on HBO and that’s great if one...
In the end, it looks like what we got is what was expected: a commercial for Tony Bellew-David Haye. As far as commercials go, it wasn’t too bad. While Tony Bellew retained his cruiserweight belt in dominant fashion, he still had to work for it. We got a couple big fellas throwing big shots followed by one of the better post-fight call outs in recent memory.
Returning to the ring for the first time since the second of a pair of consecutive decision losses to Jamie McDonnell in September 2015, 25-year old former WBA secondary bantamweight titlist Tomoki Kameda (32-2, 20 KO), 123, of Tokyo, Japan, needed less than half a round to jump start his career on Saturday night, eviscerating 28-year old journeyman Edgar Martinez (18-14-1, 10 KO), 122, of Anahuac, Chihuahua, Mexico with a blistering left hook. Martinez was a late replacement for veteran Cecilio Santos. The referee was Lupe Garcia.
By Cliff Rold - Fortunes change. A pair of title shots at light heavyweight didn’t go Tony Bellew’s way. He lost a nail biter to Nathan Cleverly when both were undefeated. He got blasted out at the hands of Adonis Stevenson. Light heavyweight just wasn’t his domain. Bellew packed on some pounds and found better...