By Lyle Fitzsimmons - If you've gotten to this point and aren't happy, it's your own fault. You should have seen it coming last week. As has become tradition in the typically Tuesday (but this week, Wednesday) morning space in late December, we ring out the old year with a recap of the predictions made 12 months in advance. It was, if you recall from last week, a forecasting year to forget.
The Kraft Brothers, Toni and James, headline LMS Promotion at the Bavaria Filmstudios in Munich on January 16. Toni, a 6-0 light heavyweight, takes on Hungarian Ferenc Albert (21-8) for the vacant WBC Youth title. Younger brother James, 7-0 and a middleweight, fights Peter Orlik (16-13-1) also for the vacant WBC Youth title.
ALA Promotions kicks off 2016 with a big card on February 27 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu titled “Stars of the Future” headlined by unbeaten super bantamweight Prince Albert Pagara and featherweight Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo along with KJ Cataraja and unbeaten minimum weight Melvin Jerusalem.
The Daily Bread Mailbag is back with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards answering questions on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley trilogy bout, Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev, Gennady Golovkin , and more.
by David P. Greisman - Once a year, every year, I peer. I peer and I peer until the future becomes clear. My crystal ball tells all. But I only use it for one thing. I don't seek stock market tips or the winning lottery numbers or the locations of hidden treasure. I need not enrich myself when all the money in the world wouldn’t be worth as much as the joy I get in enlightening you.
Japanese featherweight Shigeji Kaneko who beat Gabriel “Flash” Elorde four times in fights in Japan passed away on Saturday night in Tokyo. Kaneko’s son Misako who accompanied his father when he was special guest at the Annual ‘Flash” Elorde Awards and Banquet of Champions informed Elorde’s eldest son Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde of Kaneko’s passing but gave no other details.
The year 2015 may have brought some dejection in the amateur arena, but the Thais did excel in the professional boxing ring. Finishing the year with three world champions across three weight divisions belonging to three separate world boxing governing institutions is no mean feat. And the way things are, there is a realistic hope that Thailand may add more champions to that list. The reigning Thai world title-holders are Wanheng Menayothin (WBC minimumweight) of the Petchyindee boxing camp, Pungluang Sor Singyu (WBO bantamweight) of OneSongchai Gym and Amnat Ruenroeng (IBF flyweight) of Kiat Kreerin Promotions.
On March 26th, Empire Boxing Promotions comes to Greeley, CO with a roster of young, undefeated talent. The event will be held at the Island Park Event Center. Welterweight Brian Mendoza (11-0, 10 KO’s) will headline the event. Mendoza had a stellar amateur career, appearing at the National Golden Gloves twice. Mendoza comes out the fighting city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS - Erislandy Lara's the opponent most fighter's aren't in a hurry to fight -efficient and accurate on offense and a defensive wizard. Only Chocolatito and Fonfara landed more total & power punches than Santa Cruz, whose jab and defense are under rated. Walters nearly doubled the C'box avg. for jabs landed per round while landing 52% of his power shots. Safety-first Floyd #1 in plus/minus as expected but he landed below C'box avg. for total punches & jabs landed per round. Only Wilder (61%) landed a higher pct. of power punches than Floyd. Jacobs opponents landed just 22% of their power shots and only 6 punches per round.
Fond recollections continue to pour in regarding the life that was for Howard Davis Jr., who passed away Wednesday evening following a 10-month battle with Stage 4 lung cancer. Most boxing-related obituaries will point out that Davis Jr., 59 years of age at the time of his passing, was regarded as one of the best U.S. amateur boxers in history. The four-time Golden Gloves winner from the Glen Cove section of Long Island, New York amassed an amateur mark of 125-5, having learned the sport from his father Howard Sr. as the oldest of 10 siblings.