Classy Keith Thurman "I want boxing back at the forefront of network Tv"

Following Saturday nights unanimous victory in defence of his WBA welterweight strap against Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman made a lot of friends following a statement he released at the press conference..

"Bringing boxing back to prime time, bringing it back to the people..  We were live on Facebook today, there was a comment..:  Keith Thurman v Danny Garcia, pay per view...
I don't want PPV..  I don't want you to have to pay for this entertainment..   There is too much world class entertainment for free..  
I want all of America to see me..  
I didn't have HBO growing up...
I didn't have Showtime growing up...
And if you have HBO and You have Showtime and they make it PPV, now you gotta come out your pocket some more..  
I'm not trying to gauge the American people or the American public..
I want to get everyone on my side, I want everyone to have the opportunity or the chance to see One Time, and I want boxing to come back to the forefront of network Tv."

A fabulous statement by a man who looks to have declared himself as a people's champion..

Thurman edges Porter in a WBA welterweight title classic.

For the last twelve months Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman have attempted to set a date in stone for their on off scheduled bout..  Last summer the two welterweights originally prepared for their showdown, It was then supposed to take place at the end of 2015, then again at the start of 2016. The more recently scheduled March date came and went when Thurman was injured in a car accident..  Finally the fight took place on Saturday night before 12,718 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, in a fight that surpassed our expectations
Thurman (27-0, 22 KO’s) retained his WBA title with a close unanimous decision win on three scorecards of 115-113. But both men gave a valiant effort and ended the fight covered in credibility along with battle scars..  Porter’s perpetual motion style yet often ineffective aggression was Taylor made for Thurman’s powerful counterpunches. Thurman had a edge in power punches landed but Porter was the busier fighter throughout the most part of the fight..
Porter (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) started the fight aggressively by coming forward with combinations but Thurman soon connected with well placed counters.. Porter hurt Thurman with body punches in the second and backed Thurman into the ropes unloading with a series of shots. Thurman remained composed and punched back , utilising the uppercut. Porter was stunned after he walked into a hard, straight right as he exchanged with Thurman along the ropes at the end of the third. Porter slowed down in the fourth as Thurman began to connect with more effective, harder shots.
The fifth was a closer affair, as both men tried to impose their styles on the other. Porter did good body work while Thurman landed the heavier shots. Porter was more aggressive in the sixth as Thurman looked for single shots.. Both fighters connected with hard shots in the seventh as the fast pace continued. Porter continued to come forward aggressively through the eighth as he again outworked Thurman.
Thurman was badly hurt in the ninth and received a nasty cut over his left eye, the champion tried to trade in response but it was unwise as it played into porters game, responding with flurries to the head and body while pushing him back into the ropes. Thurman returned well, however, and rocked Porter toward the end of the tenth and jumped on the advantage. But after missing some wide power shots, Porter turned the tide and ended the round pounding Thurman in the corner. Porter appeared to slow in the eleventh to conserve energy for the final round allowing Thurman the opportunity to steal the round..  Both fighters appeared spent in the 12th and they split the round on all the official cards with Porter earning it on two and Thurman winning it on the third.
“I want to thank Shawn Porter for a tremendous fight, he’s a great warrior,” Thurman said right after the fight ended. “Defense is the key to victory. He smothers his punches a lot and makes it difficult for the judges to score. I was able to rock him with clear, effective blows and I believe that was the difference today.”

This fight is definitely a candidate for 2016 fight of the year, both guys respectful of the other and in agreement that it could have easily gone either way. I happened to have my unofficial scorecard as a draw, I'm sure no one would complain seeing this one again..

Anthony Joshua extinguishes brave Breazeale in 7.

IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua made a successful first defence of his title tonight with a 7th round knockout of Previously unbeaten American import Dominick Breazeale at the O2 in London..  Breazeale showed great resilience in the early rounds, standing firm against the early Joshua onslaught, Anthony landed flush on numerous occasions but was unable to move the rugged Californian. Joshua did rock Breazeale at the end of round 2 but the bell rescued the challenger.  Joshua dictated the whole tempo of the fight, closing Breazeales right eye and causing the American to go into survival mode..  Dominick proved a stubborn challenger and even had a few moments in the 6th, where a rare flurry bloodied the champions nose.. Round 7 was the closer, Joshua closing the distance and finally managing to penetrate Breazeales defence, a quick cluster of clean shots dropped Breazeale, who bravely rose in an act of defiance, but moments later a final flurry would end the Americans gallant challenge..  Joshua displayed maturity in this fight, using the opponents durability as an opportunity to do some extra live rounds..  Joshua did show keen interest after the fight in a possible match with Joseph Parker, but also appeared disappointed with the Fury v Klitschko postponement, railroading a possible winter defence against the winner.

In a WBA super middleweight eliminator, George Groves (24-3, 18 KOs) pounded out a hard fought, but clear cut, twelve round unanimous decision over Martin Murray (33-3-1, 16 KOs) Scores were 118-110 across the board for Groves. The fight was a WBA eliminator. If champion Felix Sturm is stripped for a failed drug test, Groves would face #1 Fedor Chudinov for the vacant belt.

World ranked middleweight Chris Eubank Jr (23-1, 18 KOs) annihilated previously unbeaten Tom Doran (17-0, 7 KOs) in four rounds. Eubank was in control at all times, dropping Doran in round three and four times in round four. Time was 2:35. Eubank retained his British title and is looking to land a fight with Gennady Golovkin in the coming months.

Other Results:

Conor Benn KO1 Lukas Radic (lightweight)

Dillian Whyte KO6 Ivica Bacurin (heavyweight)

Andrea Scarpa TKO6 John Wayne Hibbert (super lightweight)

Anthony Ogogo TKO1 Frane Radnic (middleweight)

Khalid Yafai TKO1 Jozsef Ajtai (bantamweight)

Joshua v Breazeale, IBF heavyweight title fight Saturday.

This Saturday in London, Newly crowned IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will make the first defence of the title he won in April knocking out American Charles Martin.. The opponent is another unbeaten American import Dominick Breazeale, a 17/0 California based fighter with a background in American football..  Breazeale boxed in the same 2012 Olympics in London where Anthony took the gold medal in the same weight category..  Breazeale brings a lot of attributes on paper, he obviously hits very hard, with 15 knockouts on his resume, he is heavier and slightly taller at 6ft 7, but in real terms as a challenger, he is in deep with Joshua.. In his last fight Dominick had to climb off the floor against journeyman Amir Mansour before stopping his opponent in the 5th, while last year many onlookers considered him lucky to escape with his unbeaten record in tact after being taken to points by awkward Fred Kassi in Alabama, highlights on his record that don't reflect that of a man staring at a title shot..  Joshua has improved steadily, 16 knockouts in 16 well cultivated wins, designed to improve the new champion carefully, Joshua won't overlook Breazeale, he's a huge man and anything can happen in the heavyweight division, but this first defence looks relatively comfortable..   Breazeale doesn't look phased by the enormity of this fight, he regards the hostility of the pro Joshua crowd rather tame compared with the huge gridiron stadiums he has played in and I honestly believe he's an athlete with a winners mentality who thinks he can pull it off..   Breazeale emphasises, he is not Charles Martin..

The undercard is also packed with featured fights, prizefighter winner Tom Doran gets his shot at the new British middleweight champion Chris Eubank jr, In a clash of former three time world title challengers, St Helens Martin Murray faces George Groves at super middleweight..   Plus the return of Anthony Ogogo, new Matchroom heavyweight Dillian Whyte and son of Nigel, Conor Benn aiming to extend his unbeaten run..

Kovalev v Ward looks a done deal for November.

2016 threatened to deliver numerous superfights, April brought us Amir Khans brave challenge to a middleweight Canelo Alvarez, May should have brought us the heavyweight thriller between WBC King, Deontay Wilder and dangerous challenger Alexander Povetkin before a shock drugs scandal took the fight from us..  The near future promises us some tasty dust ups too, Tyson Furys curious rematch with Wladimir Klitschko on July 9th at heavyweight and Shawn Porters on off battle with the hard punching Keith Thurman scheduled for June 25th, yet the most interesting, highly anticipated match of this year looks to be only months away..
Light heavyweights Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward looks signed and sealed, both signed a contract agreeing to fight each other today , the fight looks likely to be November 19th at the T-mobile in Las Vegas..
Kathy Duva of Main Events, who promote Kovalev, had previously stated the pair had agreed to fight and Sergey’s manager, Egis Klimas, confirmed that the superfight is signed.
Kovalev will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Isaac Chilemba in Russia on July 11th, paving the way to this highly anticipated superfight.
The unbeaten 33-year-old is widely regarded as the best light-heavyweight in the world, the Chilemba fight looks perfect preparation for Ward, the Malawi-born South African is a slippery customer and almost impossible to look good against, with a style not too dissimilar to Ward’s – though he is several levels below the former super-middleweight boss.
HBO, who have broadcast Kovalev’s fights in the US for some time now, have not yet committed to the Chilemba fight, but are expected to pick up Sergey’s meeting with Ward.
Ward made his first official outing at light-heavyweight with a 12-round routing of unbeaten Sullivan Barrera in March, having cleaned out the 168lb division with wins over Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham.

Molina scores upset victory over Provodnikov in Verona.

In a fierce and bloody war, 9:1 underdog John Molina Jr. (28-6, 23 KOs) outfought former WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KOs) over twelve rounds last night at the Turning Stone in Verona, NY.
From the first bell, both fighters opted against a feeling out process and begin trading, both landing clean solid shots.. Neither fighter let up going into the second, with what looked like the beginnings of an action packed classic, both fighters showing little regard for defence. Provodnikov began the third round pressing the action, but Molina showed extreme determination by matching him behind a clever jab..
Molina continued to work his jab in the fourth while sustaining a brutal body attack, midway through an accidental headbutt opened a cut over Provodnikov's eye as the punches on both sides began to score with more conviction, both fighters relentlessly engaging right up until the bell.
In round six, Molina’s jab neutralised his opponent’s rhythm, dictating the pace, Provodnikov's only success was a right-left on Molina near the end of the round. Molina obliged by returned fire before continually boxing behind the jab.. Provodnikov’s did find success with the left hook during a heated seventh round where shots were landed after the bell.
Provodnikov's cut reopened in the eighth but the Russian defiantly refused to take a backward step, eating uppercuts whilst landing shots of his own in the ninth, lunging wildly as Molina intelligently stuck to the jab.
The tempo dropped considerably by the tenth and Provodnikov employed some much needed head movement to help in his quest to avoid the jab, both fighters feeling the pace entering the championship rounds. Provodnikov started to come on in the eleventh with Molina throwing fewer jabs, Provodnikov looking for any sign of decline from the California fighter
In the final round, both fighters put it all on the line, each willing to go that extra mile to catch the judges eyes in the dying seconds of a fabulous battle..   By the finish the 3 judges were in agreement that Molina had deserved the victory by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 117-111.

Molina had sprung a popular upset, Provodnikov however was gracious in defeat..
“The decision was right. Molina won the fight; he was better tonight,” Provodnikov admitted. “We expected he would box and move. It wasn’t my night tonight. It just didn’t go for me today. There’s no excuses. I lost the fight tonight. Maybe it was motivation or something else. I’m sorry if I disappointed.”

Andrade outguns Nelson in WBC final eliminator.

Undefeated former WBO champion Demetrius Andrade (23-0, 16 KOs) scored a dramatic 12th and final round KO over the durable Willie Nelson (25-3-1, 15 KOs) in a WBC super welterweight title eliminator last night at the Turning Stone in Verona, NY. Andrade’s speed and accuracy made its mark early, Nelson being stunned with a body shot, Andrade followed up with a flurry, finished with a stiff right hook that put Nelson down. Andrade boxed patiently in the second landing frequently without much response from a subdued Nelson. Andrade had to weather a storm in the third, Nelson scoring with a right uppercut, straight right combination that stunned the former champion, urging him to respond with his own uppercuts in the fourth, breaking the taller Nelson down with vicious body shots, forcing the Ohio fighter into defensive mode to survive the attacks..
Andrade began to pick his spots in the middle rounds, taking complete control of the fight, Nelson would attempt to rally in the eighth, but the round again closed with more clean Andrade combinations drilling Nelson with accurate clusters..   Andrade played it safe for much of the fight, yet remaining the busier With neither fighter willing to take risks...   It look almost a certainty that Boo Boo would secure a comfortable decision, before landing a devastating right hook in the 11th, luckily for Nelson, on the bell. Andrade ceased the opportunity early in the 12th, a right hook repeated the knockdown, Nelson reluctantly rose but a final Andrade flurry and left hook closed the show, referee Richard Pakozdi stopping the fight with 1 minute 22 seconds remaining.
An excited Andrade credited the win to his rededication and added physical strength since being stripped in 2015..  Stating "I'm ready for those Charlos, I'm coming for those belts."

Lomachenko becomes two weight champion in fight number 7.

In only his seventh professional outing, WBO featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 3 KOs) became a two-weight world champion by stopping WBO junior lightweight world champion Rocky Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs.)
Lomachenko patiently outmanoeuvred Martinez for four fast paced rounds before scoring a spectacular 5th round two punch KO, last night at the Theater at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Double Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko displayed his trademark footwork and superb hand speed throughout to dominate Martinez before knocking him out with a left uppercut / right hook combination. Martinez looked shocked at how much power Lomachenko generated with the final shots and didn't attempt to rise..  Time was 1:09.

Demond Brock and J-Flash Nichols victorious at the D Las Vegas..

Boxing at the D Las Vegas last night featured Lightweight Demond Brock (12-3-1, 4 KOs) who pounded out a ten round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Chuy Gutierrez (14-1-1, 4 KOs) In a highly entertaining fight with both fighters having their moments over the ten rounds. Scores were 100-90, 98-92, 97-93 for Brock, who retained his WBC USNBC title.

In a clash of unbeaten junior middleweights, Rolando Garza (9-0, 6 KOs) won a six round unanimous verdict over Erasmo Garcia (5-0-1, 3 KOs). Garza was deducted a point for a low shot in the sixth but still managed to carve out a win by scores of 59-54, 59-54, 58-55.

In a clash of unbeaten welterweights, Jeremy “J-Flash” Nichols (5-0, 2 KOs) won a four round unanimous decision over Adam Vasquez (5-1-1). Nichols dropped Vasquez twice in round four, en route to a 40-34 verdict on all three cards. Nichols is trained by the highly respected John Roberts and is a modern day product of Johnny Toccos Las Vegas gym.  Jeremy helped Floyd Mayweather prepare for Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and looks set for a bright future.

In an upset, heavyweight Johnathan Rice (4-1, 2 KOs) stunned four-time Mexican National amateur champion Edgar Ramirez (1-1, 1 KO), winning a shutout four round unanimous decision.

At super bantamweight Max Ornelas Knocked out tough Robert Ledesma in the first and at heavyweight Tracey Johnson outpointed Cashton Young over 4.

First round knockout defeat signals the end of the road for Enzo.

Cruiserweight Dmytro Kucher (24-1, 18 KOs) destroyed former WBO world champion Enzo Maccarinelli (41-8, 33 KOs) in the first round of a fight for the vacant European cruiserweight title on Friday night at the famous York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. WBC #9 and WBO #12 rated Kucher hurt Enzo early with a left hook, moments later right/left combination put the former WBO champion down heavily, Maccarinelli managed to stagger to his feet, but referee Giusseppi Quarterone deemed Enzo in no fit condition to continue, the time was 2:48.  A dissapointed Maccarinelli said after the fight that this was exactly how he didn't want his career to end, following such a career highlight last December upsetting the legendary Roy Jones Jr. This looks likely to be the end for Maccarinelli, this his eighth career loss, all by knockout..  The 31 year old Kucher wins the vacant title he challenged for last year in a bout that ended in a draw against Bilal Laggoune, Kuchers only loss was to recent WBC title challenger Ilunga Makabu on points in 2013.

Lomachenko attempts to become a two weight world champion against Martinez.

WBO featherweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko will be trying to become a two division world champion tonight when he moves up in weight to challenge WBO junior lightweight champion Rocky Martinez in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. It would be quite an achievement for Lomachenko if he were to pull it off tonight considering its in only his seventh professional fight..  Las Vegas bookmakers have the two time Olympic gold medalist as a 32:1 favorite. The confident Ukrainian commented "I feel great and I’m ready for this fight. I just hope that the best ‘Rocky’ Martinez is in front of me. I think this will be a very good match since we’re both champions.”
Martinez who is now 33 will have tremendous home support and knows how big the task is, yet remains positive... “I trust my preparation, I’m ready for whatever Lomachenko brings and I know I have the tools to beat him.”
Lomachenko is currently 5/1 (3 Kos) his only loss was a vacant WBO championship challenge in 2014 against Orlando Salido where he dropped a split decision in a bout where the title was only available to Vasyl following Salido failing weight..  The title remained vacant and Lomachenko picked it up by beating Gary Russell jr in his 3rd pro outing..  Lomachenko is fast becoming a fan favourite with a huge following, his popularity is attributed to his all action style, marvellous footwork and positional skills making him illusive and dangerous..  Lomachenko has shown from day one that he isn't afraid to take risks..   Martinez is 29/2/3 (17 Kos) and is a three time world champion, who's last two defences in 2015 were against the man who beat Lomachenko, Orlando Salido, a victory and a draw, retaining the title he defends tonight..

Pros begin applying for last minute Olympic spots.

The outrageous ruling by the AIBA allowing professional boxers to compete in the 2016 Olympics, after most countries were deep into their qualification process, has recently seen an influx of seasoned pros applying for a place.
Unbeaten German Number 7 ranked heavyweight contender Michael Wallisch (16-0, 10 KOs) has applied to the GABF for a place on the German Olympic team. The problem for Wallisch is that AIBA heavyweight and 2012 Olympian Erik Pfeifer has already qualified for the Rio Games, last year.
GB Boxing has rejected World ranked middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. (22-1, 17 KOs) in favor of amateur boxer Anthony Fowler, who has already qualified for the Rio Games.
The biggest news comes at light heavyweight where number 2 ranked contender Artur Beterbiev (10-0, 10 KOs) will likely land a spot on the Russian Olympic team, terrible news for other competing amateur light heavys.
USA Boxing, which governs amateur boxing in the United States, announced in a press release that they “appreciate AIBA’s continuing efforts toward the evolution of international boxing, and we recognize that the admission of professional boxers is an inevitable development. However, USA Boxing’s Olympic Selection procedures, on which our amateur athletes have relied for the past two years, preclude us from making the last minute changes that would be required to invite professionals to compete.”  America are not allowing a single professional fighter to qualify..
The WBC recently made a statement suggesting that any professional applying successfully to box in the games would receive a ban from the governing body..  I do believe the Olympics is the pinnacle of amateur boxing and professional fighters have no place in them..

Usyk v Glowacki purse bid update.

An update on the purse bid situation, WBO cruiserweight champion Krzystof Glowacki and #1 rated Oleksandr Usyk have reached an agreement, thus today’s scheduled WBO purse bid has been cancelled. According to Glowacki promoter Andrzej Wasilewski, the fight will take place in Poland on September 10th or 17th..  Usyk has been struggling to find ranked opposition since turning pro, claiming that he is the most avoided Cruiserweight in the world, this fight is a fabulous opportunity to showcase his worth.

Wilder v Arreola finalised, 16th July, Birmingham Al.

Finally Deontay Wilder has released details of his next defence, following the cancellation of his huge fight with Alexander Povetkin, Wilders next bout will be against Chris Arreola on the 16th of July at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham Alabama..  It's the announcement that we anticipated in an earlier report yet it's still a disappointing one in the circumstances..  Povetkin did fail his initial drug test prior to the May date yet reports have emerged that conclude that the Russians B sample along with several others were clean, circulating rumours that Povetkin would have been clean on the day of the scheduled fight..  It's a surprise choice of opponent, Arreola himself having a history of substance abuse, even in his last bout against Travis Kauffman he failed a test for Marijuana, resulting in his victory being overturned to a no contest..   More news regarding the outcome of A rescheduled Povetkin fight should emerge in the coming weeks..

Terrence Crawford aiming to make a statement against Postol.

Omaha Nebraska's Undefeated WBO jr welterweight champion Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), faces what could possibly be the toughest fight of his career when he takes on undefeated WBC champion Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine, in a unification bout on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Confident of victory, Crawford knows that an impressive performance could push him closer to being considered a Bigtime star..
"I’m going in there and putting on a spectacular show and showing everybody that I belong here at the top, I have to make a statement on July 23rd.”
Crawford will be training for the fight in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska under the watchful eye of his longtime trainer Brian McIntyre, Both of whom leave no stone unturned in preparations.
Crawford is Coming off a stunning knockout over Hank Lundy this past February in a second defence of his WBO crown. Last year saw Crawford score knockouts against Thomas Dulorme in April, as he won the vacant WBO super lightweight title, and in October when he stopped Dierry Jean in his first title defense.
Since coming to the United States Postol has been 4-0 with 3 KOs. He won the WBC world title with an impressive tenth round knockout over the tough Lucas Matthysse last October, yet Crawford has a different opinion of the Matthysse win, "I feel Matthysse gave up because he was frustrated. It wasn’t because he hurt him with a punch, it was because Matthysse was tired. Postol was holding, elbowing, his jab was irritating him every time Matthysse would get inside. He was more frustration than hurt." Crawford sees Postol as a basic European style, straight right jab, clinch, hold. He feels that there is nothing new that Postol brings to the table that Crawford hasn't seen before..
A win over Postol could push Terance Crawford’s career to another level, It’s Crawfords first pay-per-view and He will want to put on a career defining performance. "I want to be the next superstar, I can fill that void"
For years Nebraska has been known for its strong college football tradition in Lincoln and for hosting the NCAA College Baseball World Series in Omaha. Since his 2014 homecoming knockout win over previously undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa, Crawford has become the pride of Omaha, Nebraska.
“When you talk Omaha, you talk Terence Crawford."
Crawford expects a large number of his hometown fans to make the trek to Vegas for the Postol fight, July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, it will be champion vs. champion with rich spoils for the victor.
"I look at this fight as number 1 v number 2, the best against the best, I'm not thinking about my future fights, Postol has my full attention."
Crawford is not your brash talking champion like a Mayweather, but he is every bit as capable, a soft spoken yet confident fighter with top flight ambitions of his own. July 23rd is prime opportunity to make a bold statement.

Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice dies at 42.

Heavyweight boxer and MMA sensation Kimbo Slice has died at the age of 42,
Kimbo, who's real name was Kevin Ferguson, was admitted to hospital in Coral Springs, Florida, with no solid information of the circumstances surrounding the fighters health..
However, it was confirmed later on Monday night that the former UFC fighter had died of a massive heart attack.. Kimbo is survived by his girlfriend and six children.
Slice has been competing most recently in the Bellator MMA fighting company, with his last outing coming in February at Bellator 149 in a victory over Dada 5000. The win was overturned however, after Slice had tested positive for steroids. Kimbo had ventured into the boxing ring where he boxed 7 times at heavyweight, winning all 7 with 6 victories coming by knockout..
Slice was due to fight at Bellator London on 16 July at the O2 Arena, and had planned to fly to the capital to meet members of the media this week before being admitted to hospital. A statement from Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed Slice's death, and expressed the entire company's sadness at the tragic news.

Joshua v Breazeale...The gloves are off.

Personally I think Breazeale is a very safe defence designed to give Joshua experience as a champion making a first defence, however if you had never seen Dominick fight, you might be mistaken into thinking he meant business..

Celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali... The Greatest.

The Greatest.. Muhammad Ali passes aged 74.

On Saturday Morning the former 3 time heavyweight champion of the world Muhammad Ali passed away in Phoenix Arizona aged 74..  Ali formerly Cassius Clay won the Olympic light heavyweight gold medal in Rome 1960 and turned pro the following year..  Ali would be remembered for his three marvellous fights with Joe Frazier and his return to the ring aged 32 to defeat the previously considered unbeatable George Foreman in Zaire in 1974..  Ali regained his title for a third time by beating 1976 Olympian Leon Spinks in 1978..  Ali would unfortunately make an ill advised return in 1980 where he was stopped for the only time in his career by former sparring partner a new champion Larry Holmes at the age of 38.  Ali would once again be lured back into the ring in 1981 to box Canadian Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas. Ali's ring record was 56/5.  Muhammad Ali was much more than just a fighter, in his finest years Ali stood by his principles and refused to be drafted into the forces for the Vietnam war on principle of his religious beliefs, a decision that cost him three years of his ring career from 1967 to 1970..  Upon returning to the ring it was evident that Ali had lost some speed, but it was in different ways Ali showed spirit and determination to compensate..  Ali had been suffering from Parkinson's syndrome since the late 1980s but would stay active venturing into the political forum and campaign for many years for civil and human rights..  Ali had shown signs of decline in recent years but lived quite privately..  An articulate, compassionate, generous, unique and inspirational man Muhammad was a champion in and out of the ring that we will always regard as 'The Greatest.'

Funeral services for legendary three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali will take place on Friday morning in Louisville, Kentucky. Starting at 9AM, a procession will bring the champ all over town so people can say their goodbyes. The motorcade will pass by the Muhammad Ali Center and through Ali’s old neighborhood before heading to Cave Hill National Cemetery where Ali will be buried in a private ceremony.

Beterbiev scores 4th round knockout over Maderna.

2012 Olympian and now the IBF #2, WBO #4, WBA #4 and WBC #6 ranked light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (10-0, 10 KOs) scored a fourth round KO over Ezequiel “El Olympico” Maderna (23-3, 15 KOs) on Saturday night at the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada. Beterbiev dropped Maderna twice in round three and two more times in round four before Maderna’s corner threw in the towel. Time was :56.
Beterbiev looks to be closing in on Sergei Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson who look reluctant to box the dangerous Russian import..  Beterbiev has made it very clear that he is closing in on the top fighters in the division, Artur has looked every bit the finished article in dispatching former champions Gabriel Campillo and Tavoris Cloud quite comfortably..   Beterbiev retains his WBA - NABA light heavyweight tile.