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WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm dropped a bombshell this week when he announced that he would be leaving German-based promotional company Universum. Sturm told German tabloid paper Bild, that he would not extend his contract when it runs out in a few months time and wished Universum well. The promotional firm sent out a press release response that disputed Sturm’s position.
The date is now set. The word coming down from Mexico is that Jorge Arce (52-5, 40KOs) will face Simphiwe Nongqayi (15-0, 6KOs) for the vacant IBF super flyweight title on September 15 in Mexico. Fernando Beltran will promote the show and TV Azteca will televise. The belt was vacated by Vic Darchinyan.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman is fully against an immediate clash between two of Mexico's undefeated prospects. As recently reported, junior middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0, 29KOs) and welterweight Saul Alvarez (28-0, 21KOs) are involved in a growing rivalry in Mexico. Alvarez wants to fight Chavez right now. The younger Julio does not see a reason to fight Alvarez at the moment.
Ricky Hatton has come out swinging at the recent comments that were made by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Hatton was upset over some of the recent comments that Mayweather made about ending his career. Hatton suffered his first loss with a ten-round stoppage to Mayweather in December of 2007.
WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has spoken out against some of critics who continue to compare him to another Puerto Rican great, Felix "Tito" Trinidad. Cotto wants to make it clear, for the last time, that he is not Trinidad in any way - inside or outside of the ring.
A rivalry is starting to build in Mexico between two undefeated contenders, junior middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0, 29KOs) and welterweight Saul Alvarez (28-0, 21KOs). Alvarez believes that Chavez has risen in the ranks on the back of his legendary name and not for his accomplishments in the ring. Alvarez would love the chance to fight Chavez.
The WBA has rescheduled the purse bids for Daniel Santos (32-3, 23 KOs) vs. Yuri Foreman (27-0, 8 KOs) until August 17. Santos makes a mandatory defense of his WBA junior middleweight title.
The feud between trainer/manager Nacho Beristain and manager Frank Espinoza continues. Beristain threw his feelings on the table a few weeks ago when Abner Mares signed a contract with Espinoza. Beristain had been training Mares but quickly dropped him and banned him from the Romanza Boxing Gym. The reason was simple, Beristain was mad that Mares didn't speak to him before signing a deal with Espinoza.
Bernard Hopkins, the former two division champion, does not believe that Miguel Cotto's face will be able to last the full twelve rounds of his November 14 bout with Manny Pacquiao. He feels that Pacquiao workrate, combined with the anticipated high-impact nature of the fight, will be Cotto's downfall.
According to Russian news outlet Pravda, WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev may face up to five years in prison for the minor assault with an elderly security guard, Yury Sergeyev, from three years back. The legal case has been going on since January 2006, when Valuev roughed up the Spartak Sports Complex's guard for being rude to his wife at the venue's parking lot. Because of the beating, the guard was said to have suffered a brain concussion.