Cliff Rold

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3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.

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Articles by Cliff Rold: page 161

Hopkins-Kovalev: Unification Pre-Fight Report Card

Cliff Rold

•Nov 8, 2014

A significantly younger fighter of the highest quality, in his prime, should never lose to a 49-year old man. Not even when that 49-year old is Bernard Hopkins. Sergey Kovalev is clearly a good, dangerous professional. He has the appearance of a high quality Light Heavyweight. The tests of that quality are limited to date. Nathan Cleverly and Gabriel Campillo are the highlights so far. Hopkins has proven a litmus test for younger men for years, more remarkably as he’s aged and fought a broad range of the best at Light Heavyweight in the last four years. Chad Dawson had a long run around the top of the division and passed the test. Jean Pascal, Beibut Shumenov, and Tavoris Cloud could not.

Robert Stieglitz-Felix Sturm: An der Kreuzung

Cliff Rold

•Nov 6, 2014

by Cliff Rold - While American eyes will be trained on the Light Heavyweight division on Saturday, Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev isn’t the only big fight on the slate. In Germany, one division below them, two former titlists will be matched up in a contest with no clear favorite and a limited margin of error. 35-year old former WBO, WBA, and IBF Middleweight titlist Felix Sturm (39-4-2, 18 KO) moves up for a catchweight (166 ½ lbs.) contest with 33-year old former WBO Super Middleweight titlist Robert Stieglitz (47-4, 27 KO). They are two men An der Kreuzung. At the crossroad. And a good crossroad fight is never a bad thing. With rare exceptions (Hopkins being an obvious one), boxers have a shelf life that begins to really erode as they hit their mid-30s. The more hard fights one has had by those ages, the closer they are usually to the end. In the cases of Sturm and Stieglitz, it’s not easy to be sure who has more time to correct course should they lose this weekend. Many of the variables suggest Sturm. He’s older and has been a part of the title scene. An Olympian in 2000, Sturm won his first title in 2003. That first title loss, controversial though it was to Oscar De La Hoya the following year, came more than a decade ago.

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Cliff Rold

•Nov 4, 2014

It’s going to be a busy Saturday night with three shows airing in the US with some overlap on the last two. Let’s be honest though. There is only one main event of the week. Whether the fight turns out to be good or just another intriguing chapter in the story of a living legend, the sight of a 49-year old man pursuing unification of his second weight division is pretty crazy stuff. Moore and Foreman were pretty much done by the same age.

Tomoki Kameda-Alejandro Hernandez: Pre-Report Card

Cliff Rold

•Nov 1, 2014

by Cliff Rold - The chance to add another belt to his trophy case may be coming. Japan’s Tomoki Kameda has work to do first. Saturday night (Showtime, 9 PM EST/PST), Kameda will attempt to defend his WBO Bantamweight title fir the third time. Reports from this site earlier in the week raised the stakes on that defense. If Kameda wins, a showdown with sub-WBA titlist Jamie McDonnell (not to be confused with their “Super” champion Juan Carlos Payano) could be coming in early 2015. He has a solid veteran looking to knock that possibility off track. Kameda, like eldest brother Koki, is willing to use his legs when he needs them. Unlike Koki, he doesn’t seem as hesitant to let his hands go. The youngest of the world championship-winning Kameda trio is the most effective offensive fighter of the bunch. His defensive attributes will be called on here. Hernandez is not a fast fighter at all, but he is fundamentally pretty solid and his timing isn’t bad. He can apply smart pressure and will be forced to bring the fight forward to have a shot. If he can cut off the ring, rather than just follow when Kameda moves, he may have some success.

Plymouth Rocking: O'Connor stops Andrew Farmer in four

Cliff Rold

•Oct 30, 2014

In the televised opener, 23-year old Irish Super Middleweight Jason Quigley (3-0, 3 KO), 165 ½, of Woodland Hills, California, used a left hook and right hand to drop 38-year old Greg McCoy (3-4-1, 1 KO), 165, of New Haven, Connecticut. McCoy made no effort to rise as referee Mike Marvell tolled the count, halting the action at 2:39 of round one. The card was broadcast on Fox Sports1, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

Tomoki Kameda: A Quality Japanese Import

Cliff Rold

•Oct 30, 2014

by Cliff Rold - In each of the last two years, American fans were treated to a pleasant surprise from the land of the rising sun. In 2013, Nihito Arakawa faced undefeated Lightweight Omar Figueroa and gave him a fight every fan was talking about the next day. Earlier this year, Yoshihiro Kamegai gave former featherweight and super featherweight titlist Robert Guerrero 12 hard, bloody rounds. It was enough to wonder for some US fans not often exposed to the Asian market if there was more where that came from? The answer is yes, and Arakawa and Kamegai don’t even represent the good stuff. Since Flyweight Yoshio Shirai won his country’s first world title in 1952, Japan has regularly produced some of the best fighters in the world. Hall of Famer Fighting Harada, Yoko Gushiken, Jiro Watanabe, and Masao Ohba are just a few of their great champions. With plenty of fans at home, and plying their trade at lighter weights, they haven’t always been available in English speaking markets. This Saturday on Showtime (9 PM EST/PST), US fans get their latest looks at the rare upper quality talent from Japan making a home for himself away from home. Due to the boxing politics back home, 23-year old WBO Bantamweight titlist Tomoki Kameda (30-0, 19 KO) is persona no grata in Japan (details and rumors available elsewhere). That goes for an entire fighting family. He is the third of three brothers to win major titles in the sport behind elder siblings Koki and Daiki.

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Cliff Rold

•Oct 29, 2014

This was (again) supposed to be the week of the latest potential war at Flyweight (Juan Carlos Reveco-Yodmongkol Vor Saengthep). Initially pushed back two weeks to Halloween night, it’s now been cancelled. Bummer. There is still boxing to be found on US air. How good it is remains to be seen. These are the picks of the week.

Stiverne-Wilder: Will it Lead To Wladimir Klitschko?

Cliff Rold

•Oct 26, 2014

by Cliff Rold - It looks like we probably have a fight. All signs point currently to the long negotiation between WBC Heavyweight titlist Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KO) and mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KO) finally reaching its conclusion. Let’s assume that to be the case. What does that mean for the future of the Heavyweight division? The immediate answer is the obvious. Stiverne-Wilder matches two big punchers with lots of question marks. Wilder has been brought along as a project, matched carefully along his development curve. A selection of veteran names (Audley Harrison, Sergey Lyakhovich, and Malik Scott) in recent fights was better than what he had been facing, but none were able to test him. Lyakhovich and Harrison were both badly past their sell-by date. Scott was folded quickly. We know Wilder has pop and speed. On the eve of his first title shot, we still don’t know much about how he does when a capable guy is seriously fighting back. This feels like a big step up. It’s not as big as some might assume. Stiverne, like Wilder, carries a big punch and he’s seen tougher rounds. Veteran Ray Austin ran him close before being stopped in the tenth. He easily outboxed Chris Arreola the first time they fought and performed well against a more focused Arreola in the rematch. Down on two cards after five rounds, Stiverne stopped Arreola silly in the sixth round to capture the then-vacant WBC belt. Aside from Arreola and Austin, there isn’t a ton of depth to Stiverne’s resume either. Arreola, for all the TV time he’s accumulated, never beat anyone most would consider a contender over the years. Austin has never been better than ordinary.

The Wisdom of Omar Narvaez vs. Naoya Inoue

Cliff Rold

•Oct 25, 2014

Japan’s 21-year old Naoya Inoue (7-0, 6 KO) has the appearance of a potentially special talent. Equipped with solid skill, speed, and power, the young man already has a WBC title at 108 lbs. and a defense under his belt. Six of his seven opponents to date entered the ring with winning records and he won his title from one of the division’s most proven veterans, Adrian Hernandez, with a sixth round stoppage.

Martin Murray, Hekkie Budler Headed in Bigger Directions?

Cliff Rold

•Oct 23, 2014

by Cliff Rold - It must have been horrible in the days before the internet. Hardcore fight fans for years read about fights overseas. They only saw bits of the action. Fighters like Roberto Duran and Carlos Monzon were easy enough to find. Much of the rest of the world…well, there was always Ring Magazine. Tape trading in the 1980s helped to close the gap. Today, the world is always a click away. On short notice, fans can find out an intriguing card they didn’t expect to see will be a click away on a Saturday afternoon. Online outlet WatchESPN.com (1 PM EST/10 AM PST) will be providing access to just such a card from Monaco this weekend. Two particular contests set to air stand out. One builds perfectly on the momentum of last weekend’s HBO main event. Another sets up mere possibility. In both, we are likely to get some answers about the direction of two different weight classes. The former takes place at Middleweight and dovetails perfectly with last Saturday’s latest Gennady Golovkin walkover. Golovkin, after losing critical time in his early years stuck in the tornado that was the undoing of Universum Promotions, is finally fulfilling his professional promise. He’s putting butts in seats, his TV numbers are good (relative to what passes for good in the US), and he’s knocking out contenders. It might not say much for the current depth at Middleweight that Marco Antonio Rubio still counted as a contender, but he did. In three of his last five starts, the WBA titlist Golovkin has walked through Rubio, Matthew Macklin, and former unified titlist Daniel Geale. The credentials are starting to catch up to the eye test. That doesn’t make a crack at lineal World Champion Miguel Cotto an immediate option. In the absence of a chance to place history’s crown on his mantle, Golovkin has to keep finding contenders to build his case. He’ll have his eyes on the main event here. The UK’s Martin Murray (28-1-1, 12 KO) is heavily believed to be next in line for Golovkin with a February date in Monaco making the news rounds. Murray is a credible opponent. There are those who believe each of his two career blemishes could have been a win.

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Articles by Cliff Rold: page 161

Hopkins-Kovalev: Unification Pre-Fight Report Card

Robert Stieglitz-Felix Sturm: An der Kreuzung

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Tomoki Kameda-Alejandro Hernandez: Pre-Report Card

Plymouth Rocking: O'Connor stops Andrew Farmer in four

Tomoki Kameda: A Quality Japanese Import

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Stiverne-Wilder: Will it Lead To Wladimir Klitschko?

The Wisdom of Omar Narvaez vs. Naoya Inoue

Martin Murray, Hekkie Budler Headed in Bigger Directions?

Boxing News

Darius Fulghum springs the upset on Diego Pacheco

Anthony Olascuaga wins a 'war' against Yuberjen Martinez

Carlos Adames wins a dud against Gerome Warburton

Jose Nunez hammers out upset of Bryan Flores in El Paso

'Would you bet your mortgage against Floyd Mayweather beating Ryan Garcia'

Eddie Hearn makes pitch to Shakur Stevenson over boxing future

Anthony Joshua's destiny against Tyson Fury is in his hands, not Ben Davison's

Eddie Hearn reveals Naoya Inoue demands regarding Bam Rodriguez showdown

Chantelle Cameron-Mikaela Mayer rematch set for Christmas Eve in Dubai

Gerome Warburton will make history against Carlos Adames – regardless of the result

Naoya Inoue-Bam Rodriguez talks underway, says Eddie Hearn

Diego Pacheco may be only a step away from Lester Martinez

Floyd Schofield Jnr-Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela ordered by WBA

WBA orders Teofimo Lopez vs Jack Catterall amid Ryan Garcia talks

Jaron Ennis-Josh Kelly three-belt unification confirmed for February 27 in Atlanta

Chris Eubank Jnr-Kell Brook close to agreement for 2027, says Ben Shalom

Martin Bakole returns on Fury-Joshua undercard alongside rising Da’Mazion Vanhouter

Manny Pacquiao definitely off the Joshua-Fury Netflix card

Arnold Barboza Jnr-Oscar Duarte official for January 23 in Anaheim

Lester Martinez latest at risk to be sidestepped by Canelo Alvarez

Diego Pacheco chases his destiny in down-and-dirty L.A.

Jarrell Miller-Tony Yoka to headline December 20 show in Ghana

Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua 1am start hinges on Cardiff Council decision

Ryan Garcia vows to hospitalize Floyd Mayweather as he 'announces' February 6 showdown

Jaron Ennis-Josh Kelly unification nearing completion for February 27

Willy Hutchinson reveals Canelo Alvarez contact and vows to 'box his head off'

Larry Goossen, influential trainer and Big Bear pioneer, dies at 75

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have unfinished business beyond December 11

Willy Hutchinson being 'analysed' as potential next fight for Canelo Alvarez

Denzel Bentley willing to travel to Ireland for Aaron McKenna title shot

Dana White holds court at White House but tells Donald Trump: 'I do not want to be in politics'

Darius Fulghum sees second chance, and pressure on Diego Pacheco

Six fights, six knockouts: Albina Moldazhanova signs with MVP

Brock Jarvis hopes third time's the charm against Jermell Charlo

Caroline Dubois warns Alycia Baumgardner against stopping short of undisputed

Dana White job offer was a joke, claims Donald Trump

Floyd Mayweather eyes ‘big fight’ in 2027, names four potential opponents

Alycia Baumgardner dominates Elif Nur Turhan; Ramla Ali, Skye Nicolson also victorious

Donald Trump wants Dana White as his new press secretary

Is 'Rocky' a boxing movie? Furthermore, is 'I Play Rocky' a Rocky movie?

Abraham Perez defends flyweight title against Yankiel Rivera

Willy Hutchinson earns revenge, a world title in rematch win over Joshua Buatsi

Cheavon Clarke stuns Chris Billam-Smith with sensational seventh-round stoppage

Denzel Bentley drops Shane Mosley Jnr en route to unanimous decision victory

Caroline Dubois and Stephanie Han to unify Feb. 20 in Texas

Joshua Buatsi, Willy Hutchinson make weight for WBC title rematch

Chris Billam-Smith, Chev Clarke make weight; Shane Mosley Jnr needs second attempt

Tyson Fury fears for Deontay Wilder, says he is 'shot to bits' ahead of Jai Opetaia fight

Conor Benn reveals Manny Pacquiao offer, fight targeted for 2027

Fast and furious: PBC keeping talent busy in new DAZN union

Cliff Rold

About

Articles by Cliff Rold: page 161

Hopkins-Kovalev: Unification Pre-Fight Report Card

Robert Stieglitz-Felix Sturm: An der Kreuzung

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Tomoki Kameda-Alejandro Hernandez: Pre-Report Card

Plymouth Rocking: O'Connor stops Andrew Farmer in four

Tomoki Kameda: A Quality Japanese Import

BoxingScene.com's Television Picks of The Week

Stiverne-Wilder: Will it Lead To Wladimir Klitschko?

The Wisdom of Omar Narvaez vs. Naoya Inoue

Martin Murray, Hekkie Budler Headed in Bigger Directions?

Darius Fulghum springs the upset on Diego Pacheco

Anthony Olascuaga wins a 'war' against Yuberjen Martinez