379 stories on BoxingScene are published under the T.K. Stewart byline.
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Don King, true to form, had a lot to say yesterday in regards to this weekend's festivities in Germany where he will see his fighter, Samuel Peter, face Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title strap.
by T.K. Stewart - Beginning immediately, Freddie Roach is taking over the training reigns of the recently humiliated Amir Khan who was practically eviscerated in less than a round by the unheralded Breidis Prescott last month.
by T.K. Stewart - Floyd Mayweather, Sr. touched down at the airport in drizzly Manchester, England on Friday morning. The outspoken trainer is there, of course, to train Ricky Hatton for his November 22nd fight with Paulie Malignaggi that will take place at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Manchester, England is an unlikely place to find "Big Floyd" - as he likes to refer to himself. It's not the wind-whipped streets of his birthplace of Grand Rapids, Michigan nor anything at all like his current home among the lively action and bright lights of Las Vegas. Mayweather, who is perpetually engaging and always has a little something on his mind, was weary after the long transatlantic flight. When reached by cell phone he was still getting his luggage together in the airport, yet he was anxious to let everybody know how things were getting along so far. "I heard it rains a lot, quite a bit here, and the weather is kind of dreary," commented Floyd. "But I seen when I was comin' in, there was a lot of greenery, which is good, you know. But it don't seem like it's as alive as Las Vegas."
by T.K. Stewart - Freddie Roach, trainer of champions and trainer of Manny Pacquiao, says he is going to close the doors of his famous gym in order to concentrate exclusively on the task of training the Philippines' favorite son for his December 6th battle against Oscar De La Hoya.
In this boxing era of high powered promoters, television networks, managers, sports lawyers, booking agents and complicated contracts it is surprising to learn how easily the fight between when Roy Jones, Jr. and Joe Calzaghe was negotiated and ultimately came together.
by T.K. Stewart For former heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko, a product of the old sport schools from the glory days of the Soviet Empire, his has been a boxing career that is sometimes seen as a secretive, KGB-like journey through the murky underworld that is professional boxing. Klitschko, the son of a former Soviet Air Force Colonel, makes his long awaited return to the squared circle in less than two weeks and for his rabid fans it will be a much celebrated occasion. He has been away from the rigors of the ring for nearly four years, but because of his favored status with Jose Sulaiman's WBC, he will go straight to Berlin, Germany and into a title shot against Samuel 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Peter. Vitali and his younger brother Wladimir (the belt holder of the IBF and WBO titles) are aiming to fulfill a boyhood fantasy of holding versions of the heavyweight championship simultaneously. "Without dreams, life is boring," says the 37 year old Vitali. "For years it has been my dream to be a world champion at the same time as my brother." Klitschko retired from boxing in 2005 because he was repeatedly stricken with a host of training injuries. He suffered from everything to a bum shoulder to a bad back to a thigh injury to a creaky knee. Some blamed the injuries on anabolic steroids and Klitschko once tested positive for the banned substances as an amateur. In 2005 he went through a period where his enormous body (6'7 1/2" tall and 250 pounds) was breaking down on him all at once. Instead of continuing, Klitschko, then the WBC heavyweight titlist, simply retired. What was interesting to watch, is that each time he was injured, Klitschko would be quickly whisked off by his handlers to a clandestine hospital somewhere in the heart of Europe - or even Southern California (What's the difference?). It was tough to determine whether he was operated on, simply rehabbed or if he was really injured at all as he was usually kept far from the peering eyes of the free press.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, says that should Shane Mosley make it by Ricardo Mayorga on Saturday night that preliminary talks will likely begin next week for a Mosley versus Antonio Margarito match for early in 2009.
Stevie Forbes, former world title holder, former reality show participant and former challenger to Oscar De La Hoya is set and ready to get it on against WBC 147-pound titlist Andre Berto on Saturday's undercard of the Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga fight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
by T.K. Stewart - There has been much discussion recently about what the future of boxing is going to be. The doomsayers tell you that for boxing the end is near, that it can’t compete with the mixed martial arts and that boxing fans are just a bunch of old people hanging onto a sport that is clinging to the coat tails of the past. Those who prefer MMA tell you that it is exciting, that it appeals to a younger demographic and that the future for that sport has unlimited potential. I make no effort to hide the fact that I will forever be in boxing’s corner. It’s not that I dislike MMA or have anything against it. It’s just that my taste, plain and simple, is for boxing. I am sure that many of those who support MMA will tell you the same thing, it’s not that they dislike boxing - it’s just that their preference is MMA. I’ve tried watching different MMA programs, I really have, but I just cannot develop an affinity for it. The issue as I see it, is that you can’t compare the two sports. People like to make the comparison because boxing and MMA are sports that pit fighters against each other, but as far as I can see, that is the only similarity. Professional wrestling fans are not necessarily MMA fans are they? To compare boxing and MMA is like comparing tennis to ping pong or football to rugby. Boxing and MMA are two totally different sports with different fan demographics, different rules and just because you are a fan of one does not mean that you will be (or will not be) a fan of the other. Because you may be a fan of “American Idol” does not mean that you will tune into “So, You Think You Can Dance?” Similar reality programs to be sure, but not exactly the same.
by T.K. Stewart - Manchester, N.H. - Old foes and old friends sometimes turn up in the most unlikely of places and tonight proved that as legends Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and trainer Angelo Dundee teamed up at the 7th annual 'Fight to Educate' benefit card held here at the Verizon Wireless Arena. At one time you would have been more likely to have seen the worldly trio in opposing corners at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas or at Madison Square Garden in New York City but tonight they were in New Hampshire - as friends.