128 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Michael Rosenthal byline.
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By Michael Rosenthal - Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez won’t be the only ones facing intense scrutiny on September 15 in Las Vegas. The judges also will be under a microscope. The reason is obvious: The decision in the fighters’ first meeting – a split draw – was met with derision by most of those who watched the...
By Michael Rosenthal - Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas couldn’t stand each other at the time they fought in 2002. The animus supposedly stemmed from an incident at De La Hoya’s Big Bear, California, camp in the early-1990s. As the story went, Vargas, among a group of amateurs staying at the mountain r...
By Michael Rosenthal - The beauty of Gennady Golovkin’s accomplishments thus far is in the eye of the beholder. I think we can all agree that Triple-G has been and remains an exceptionally good fighter, certainly one of the best of his era. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But does he truly have the resume of a great...
By Michael Rosenthal - No one can blame Canelo Alvarez for wanting the drug thing to go away. Alvarez tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol in February, a few months before his scheduled rematch with rival Gennady Golovkin. The Mexican star blamed two failed tests on tainted meat but he was...
By Michael Rosenthal - Tyson Fury has never done anything in a conventional manner. If I were advising the former heavyweight champ, I would suggest he ease back into high-level boxing after his 2½-year hiatus from the sport. If I were Fury, who faces journeyman Francesco Pianeta on August 18 in his...
By Michael Rosenthal - Those who are passionate about boxing constantly harp on fighters and their handlers to fight the best possible opponents. That’s why Mikey Garcia’s desire to move up two weight classes and face Errol Spence should be applauded. The lightweight titleholder appears willing to challeng...
By Michael Rosenthal - Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder probably will reach a deal at some point to fight next year. Joshua probably will beat Alexander Povetkin in September and Wilder probably will do the same against whomever he fights later this year, which probably will set up a massive Joshua-W...
By Michael Rosenthal - Manny Pacquiao looked good against a shot fighter. He might be the one who looks shot if he chooses the wrong opponent for his next bout. Pacquiao should be applauded for his performance against Lucas Matthysse last weekend in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, where he pounded the Argentine to the c...
By Michael Rosenthal - When Manny Pacquiao was in his prime, the accolades landed at the same rate as his impossibly quick punches. The years that stand out most are 2008 and 2009, when he sensationally knocked out in succession Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto to become a worldwide superstar and stake his claim as one of the best fighters in the world. Some know...
By Michael Rosenthal - Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach and Bob Arum comprised the most-enduring and successful fighter-trainer-promoter combination of their generation. Roach and Arum orchestrated Pacquiao’s remarkable transition from an unknown Filipino junior featherweight in 2001 to a belove...