GGG-CANELO REMATCH MORE LIKELY ON CINCO DE MAYO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 21 Oct 2017
Abel Sanchez wants to set as soon as possible the Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez rematch next year. If the return bout happens, Sanchez does not expect Golovkin to box before facing Alvarez again. According to Golovkin?s trainer, there?s a big money at stake in an Alvarez-Golovkin rematch to fight another foe before the tiebreaker. ?If they fight in May, I think we?d be foolish to take a chance,? Sanchez told BoxingScene. ?They shouldn?t take that chance."
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Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) is optimistic that there will be a rematch with Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs). The IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion fought to a disputed draw with Alvarez last September 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions earlier said that Golovkin would return to the ring sometime in December. But if Loeffler can come to a rematch agreement with Oscar De La Hoya, Golovkin won?t fight until the return bout.
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Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez said that scheduling an Alvarez-Golovkin rematch more likely would take place May 5. ?I think it?s a fight that needs to happen," Sanchez said. "We shouldn?t wait until September. But if it does happen, hopefully it happens on that Mexican holiday, May the 5th or Cinco de Mayo. I think the buildup to May or March, whenever it may be, needs to be just that, a buildup to show people that they wanna go at each other again."
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Top Rank on ESPN started on July 1 when Manny Pacquiao fought Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia, making it the most-watched boxing show on cable television since 2006. ESPN reported an average audience of 3.1 million and a peak of 4.4 million both in its English and Spanish broadcasts. Two more Top Rank on ESPN fights are scheduled for November 11 and December 9. Both are greatly considered as the best fight cards available on the remaining 2017 boxing calendar.
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The November 11 Top Rank on ESPN opening fight features two-time Russian Olympian Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) facing Germany?s Enrico Koelling (23-1, 6 KOs) for the vacant IBF world light heavyweight title at Fresno State, California. The title was vacated with Andre Ward?s retirement. In the same card, Jose Ramirez (20-0,15 KOs), a big attraction from Avenal, will clash with Mike Reed (23-0, 12 KO) of Maryland in a battle of undefeated junior welterweights.
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On December 9, Top Rank on ESPN will telecast from New York City?s The Theater at Madison Square Garden for a night featuring both an industry-stopping world title main event and some of the best up-and-coming fighters in the world. The event has already sold all of the 5500 seats. The main event features Vasily Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) against Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), the first time two Olympic gold medalists have fought each other professionally at the highest level.
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Lomachenko will defend his WBO junior lightweight world title against WBA super bantamweight champion Rigondeaux. Lomachenko and Rigondeaux are ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the latest BWAA pound-for-pound rankings. In the same boxing card, Top Rank will feature two of their most well-known rising fighters in separate bouts Michael Conlan (4-0, 4 KOs) of Ireland and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson (3-0, 1 KO) of New Jersey.
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The Pacquiao-Horn WBO welterweight title bout marked the first time that a Pacquiao bout would air on a non-premium, basic cable channel in the United States, and was his first non-PPV bout since his fight with Hector Velasquez in 2005. ESPN claimed that it was the most-watched boxing telecast in cable history, and the most-watched boxing telecast in ESPN history. The fight was broadcast as a pay-per-view in Australia by Main Event and the Philippines by ABS-CBN.
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The betting for a victory of Anthony Joshua over Carlos Takam is very high. The odds for Joshua was 1/33 againt Kubrat Pulev but increased to 1/50 after a Pulev injury caused the change to Takam. ?Carlos Takam will certainly provide AJ with a completely different challenge to that of Kubrat Pulev. However, despite only having two weeks to prepare for his replacement opponent, we think the heavyweight champ is in for a much easier ride," Betway?s Alan Alger said.
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British Joshua will face late replacement Cameroonian Takam when the fight at the Principality Stadium on October 28. ?We have Joshua at 1/50 to defeat Takam, even shorter than the 1/33 on offer when Pulev was the opponent, and with a brutal KO predicted at 1/28, the Brit is sure to move on to bigger fights in 2018," Alger added. As to Joshua's next opponent, the betting prefers Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder, followed by Dillian Whyte while Tyson Fury is dead last.
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The Boston Celtics new recruit Gordon Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured left tibia against Cleveland during the opening night. Given the nature of the injury, it would be most unlikely for Hayward to be able to return to play this season. After his surgery, his agent Mark Bartelstein did not give a timeframe for Hayward's recovery. "It will be awhile," Bartelstein said. "I think it's very unlikely he'll play this season. But we're not even thinking about a timeframe right now."
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John L. Sullivan also known as the "Boston Strong Boy," was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from 1882 to 1892 and generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring Rules. In 1889 when he knocked out Jake Kilrain in round 75 of a scheduled 80-round bout, the fight is considered to be a turning point in boxing history because it was the last bare-knuckle heavyweight title bout.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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