Image details: Kelly Pavlik v Jermain Taylor served by picapp.com
ESPN.com is reporting that middleweight champ Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik will face boxing’s Methuselah Bernard Hopkins on October 18 in Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Boardwalk Hall. The bout will be fought at a 170-pound catch weight and will be broadcasted on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Pavlik’s promotor Bob Arum admitted to ESPN that “This fight was not our first choice, but it was the only alternative we had to make a buck.” How’s that for salesmanship? You know Bob, it wouldn’t have been this fight fan’s first choice either — that would have been …read more

Image details: Joe Calzaghe Media Interview served by picapp.com
ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael has just reported the worst kept Breaking News in boxing: 2008’s Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Joe Calzaghe’s next fight will be against 2002 Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Roy Jones, Jr.. They will fight for Calzaghe’s 175-pound light heavyweight title.
The 36-year-old Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KO) will fight the 39-year-old Jones (52-4, 38 KO) on September 20, 2008 in Madison Square Garden on HBO pay-per-view. Oh, if only this fight had taken place a few years ago. Maybe then I’d be inspired to spend my hard-earned $50-60. But this fight choice …read more

Last night’s sequel to 2006’s Arthur Abraham – Edison Miranda epic didn’t have its predecessor’s drama or its controversy. Instead it had thunder in the form of Abraham’s unbelievably powerful left hand which dropped Miranda three times in the fourth round.
This fight seemed like a tricky proposition for the Armenian middleweight. He was making his first trip to the United States. He was fighting at Miranda’s veritable home arena in South Florida. He was facing a hostile crowd. He wasn’t going to benefit from kind German judges. His counterpunching style isn’t as highly rated among American judges. He was …read more

In the mail today I received an advanced copy of George Kimball’s forthcoming book Four Kings. The book profiles the four great middleweights of what the book’s subtitle refers to as “The Last Great Era of Boxing”: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran. No first names are needed.
I’m usually the first person to dismiss and be angered by baby boomer claims that athletes were different then and that their era of sports was the best. The glorious eighties. Problem is that when I am confronted with their challenge of “well then, whose a great middleweight now?” I can only stammer back …read more

Last week the deeply in debt and still 6′4″ 245lb. Jose Canseco issued a $5K boxing challenge to the general public. Headline the July 12 Atlantic City card presumably stocked with duking-it-out D-listers and the moolah is yours. Thankfully, a former athlete stepped up the the plate and we won’t have to see Jose pummeled by Vinnie from south Philly.
That athlete is none other than former Eagle punt return and special teams wizard Vai Sikahema. Sikahema is currently employed at sports director at Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate WCAU. Vai is no stranger to the celebrity boxing circuit. In January of …read more