Badou Jack upsets Anthony Dirrell to capture WBC super middleweight crown

Badou Jack firing off his right hand against Anthony Dirrell on Friday night in Chicago (Photo: Instagram)

By Umar Wahid

Badou Jack was unfazed by the pre-fight trash talk of Anthony Dirrell Friday night at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Jack out hustled his opponent and showed great poise on his way to winning the WBC super middleweight title.

Jack (19-1-1) was knocked out last year in a major upset by Derrek Edwards; but won a majority decision in a competitive fight vs. Dirrell. One judge had it at 114-114 the second and third judges had it 116-112 and 115-113 respectively. HustleBoss also had it 115-113 for Badou Jack.
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Daniel Jacobs feels ready for anyone in the middleweight class following late TKO over Truax

WBA middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs scored yet another stoppage on Friday night (Photo: Instagram)

By Umar Wahid

Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (29 -1) stopped Caleb Truax ( 25-2-2) in the 12th round to defend his WBA interim middleweight title on Saturday night from within the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill. on Spike TV.

In what was an uneventful fight, Jacobs eventually landed some huge shots in round 11 to back Truax on the ropes. Ultimately Jacobs proved to be the better man as he was winning the fight by a wide margin an ended up scoring a TKO in the 12th and final round.
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Bob Arum on getting through the ‘tough’ promotion of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao finishing up camp at the Wild Card in Los Angeles before venturing to Vegas for the biggest fight of his life (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

By Chris Robinson

I made sure to catch up with veteran Hall-of-Fame Promoter Bob Arum on Friday afternoon, as we are set to embark on what figures to be an epic fight week out here in Las Vegas with the May 2 Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao pay per view set to go down inside of the MGM Grand.

With the fight now one week away, I picked Arum’s brain about a few topics.
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VIDEO: Gorilla Productions releases Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Promo Clip

The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao countdown continues (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

We are now eight days away from one of the sport’s biggest extravaganzas of all-time, as perennial pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather will face off with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao from within the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2.

The fight has already been selling itself for the past five years and it seems a bit surreal that the matchup is actually happening after all of this anticipation. An update from Gorilla Productions’ YouTube Channel shows yet another first-class promo video as we inch closer.
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VIDEO: Celebrities debating and gushing over Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is right around the corner (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

By Chris Robinson

We are nine days away from the fight the world is waiting for, as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will meet inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2 in Las Vegas.

Nearly all of the hard work has been put in by the two participants, and you can’t understate the various kind of predicitions that have been coming in for this fight.
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Exclusive photos: Lydell Rhodes trains at City Athletic Club in Las Vegas

Undefeated lightweight prospect Lydell Rhodes training at City Athletic Boxing in Las Vegas with his trainer Monyette Flowers (Photo: Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

Exclusive photos as the recently-opened City Athletic Boxing Gym in Las Vegas continues to bring in quality fighters, as undefeated lightweight prospect Lydell ‘Rhodes (23-0, 11 KO’s) stays sharp with trainer Monyette Flowers.

Rhodes inked with Al Haymon last year and there are talks of him possibly facing off with Nigeria’s Ajose Olusegun in his next fight. It’s a match Lydell is definitely open to.
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Jessie Vargas on the twists and turns of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: ‘Who’s going to give the opponent the ultimate surprise?’

WBA junior welterweight champion Jessie Vargas speaking in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

You can imagine the kind of predictions being thrown around regarding the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao super fight slated for May 2 and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While Mayweather is a betting favorite heading into the match, there is no shortage of supporters backing Pacquiao, the beloved Filipino icon with a deadly punch.
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Exclusive photos: Joseph ‘King Kong’ Agbeko continues the hard work in Las Vegas

Joseph Agbeko training in Las Vegas (All photos courtesy of Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

Exclusive photos from the Roy Jones Jr. Fight Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, as former bantamweight champion Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko continues to train diligently ahead of a May 16 showdown vs. Juanito Rubillar in El Paso, Texas.

Agbeko (29-5, 22 KO’s) has yet to fight since losing a decision to Cuban marvel and junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in December of 2013 but his spirits have been restored since signing with Roy Jones Boxing earlier this year.
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A different kind of exposure for BKB champion Layla McCarter

Luis Tapia, Solomon Egberime, Layla McCarter, and Raul Morales inside of the Roy Jones Jr. Fight Academy in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

Having known Layla McCarter nearly my entire time in Las Vegas the past 6 years, I’ve always had a soft spot for the woman many regard as the best female fighter to have ever laced them up.

McCarter’s professional boxing record of 36 wins, thirteen losses, and five draws (with 8 knockouts and multiple titles mixed in) doesn’t do justice to just how hard she has persevered over her 17-year career to make a name for women’s boxing.
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Photos: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. gets hammered by Andrzej Fonfara

Andrzej Fonfara cracks Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. with a right (Photo: Esther Lin – Showtime)

By Chris Robinson

On Saturday night, determined Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara (27-3, 16 KO’s) upset Mexican star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-2-1, 32 KO’s) in a way that very few expected.

Chavez was overall dominated and dropped hard in the ninth round before failing to come out for the tenth in a Showtime Championship Boxing attraction.
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Photos: Lucas Matthysse edges Ruslan Provodnikov in slugfest

Ruslan Provodnikov eats a right hand from Lucas Matthysse on Saturday night (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

Photos from the Turning Stone Casino and Resort in Verona, New York, as Lucas Matthysse pulls through with a majority-decision victory over rugged Ruslan Provodnikov after 12 bruising rounds.

The HBO-televised showdown may not have lived up to the wild expectations in terms of pure savagery, but it was an excellent battle of attrition and will that was won by Matthysse, whose stock is once again soaring high.
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Lucas Matthysse shows his worth; edges Ruslan Provodnikov over 12

Lucas Matthysse defeated Ruslan Provodnikov on Saturday night (Photo: Instagram)

By Chris Robinson

Lucas Matthysse once again proved his worth on Saturday night, winning a hard-fought, gritty battle against Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov over 12 rounds inside of the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York.

Matthysse showed himself to be the more versatile fighter in a matchup many expected to be a Fight of the Year candidate.
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Mayweather admits losing his fire, while Pacquiao is at full throttle

Floyd Mayweather during his media day in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Vitali Shaposhnikov

Have you ever heard that if a fighter spends too much time in the ring being hit, fighting war after war, they tend to slip out of the game much sooner than those that fight smart and avoid punishment?

This idea is not necessarily false, and from many standpoints makes perfect logical sense. Being hit a lot can cause physical and mental damage, leading to a higher chance of permanent and temporary injuries, as well as decline in the ability to simulate self-confidence.
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Video: Jesus ‘Chuy’ Gutierrez SPARRING Isaac Lujan at Pound 4 Pound in Las Vegas

Isaac Lujan, left, putting in some rounds with Jesus ‘Chuy’ Gutierrez in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

Been some good sparring going on over at Pound 4 Pound Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Barrientes family always run a good shop and the gym plays host to some promising young talent in the city.
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Video: INSIDE MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO | Episode 1 Preview

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao facing off in Los Angeles ahead of their super fight

By Chris Robinson

It’s hard to understate the kind of emotions that are tied into the May 2 Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao super fight.

Set for a May 2 showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the world to see, Mayweather and Pacquiao will finally settle their score after all these years of waiting and debating.
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Kenny Porter on Floyd Mayweather: ‘I get the feeling he will be able to adjust to the things Manny is doing’

Floyd Mayweather getting down to work in Las Vegas (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

With back to back media days on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for the respective fighters, we are now in the final phase of camp for both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ahead of their May 2 clash in Las Vegas.

Mayweather faces Pacquiao from the MGM Grand in perhaps the biggest event in the sport’s history.
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Shawn Porter back to light training out in Las Vegas as talks of a Keith Thurman fight heat up

Former welterweight champion Shawn Porter getting back in the groove in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris Robinson)

By Chris Robinson

It’s been a little over a month since his latest performance and Shawn Porter is back to doing what he does best as he has returned to light training out in Las Vegas.

On March 13, Porter scored a 5th round stoppage over Ecuador’s Erick Bone to improve his ledger to 25-1-1 with 16 knockouts. The win helped erase the bad taste that came following Porter’s mild upset loss to UK star Kell Brook this past August.
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Experiencing Floyd Mayweather’s Media Day in Las Vegas as Pacquiao dream match nears

Floyd Mayweather in training for his May 2 megafight vs. Manny Pacquiao (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

It was quite the scene on Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas amidst Floyd Mayweather’s media day ahead of his May 2 dream match vs. Manny Pacquiao.

Simply taking in everything outside of the Mayweather Boxing Club was a sight to see, from all the familiar media members to the throng of fans who gathered to take in a piece of history.
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Photo: Manny Pacquiao greeting two generations of fans during morning run ahead of 5/2 Mayweather duel

Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao running in Southern California (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

By Chris Robinson

Top Rank photographer Chris Farina captures Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KO’s) in training ahead of his May 2 pay per view clash vs. Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KO’s).

Pacquiao was captured going on a morning run and was spotted by a separate generation of fans, as seen in the photo above.
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Peter Quillin pays respect to Andy Lee after wild split-draw battle at Barclays

Andy Lee and Peter Quillin following their fight in Brooklyn

By Chris Robinson

It’s always good to see sportsmanship in the sport of boxing. Following his tough split-draw with Andy Lee, Peter Quillin took to social media to issue the following.

“Andy Lee it was an honor to share the ring with you. You’re a gentleman and a champion.. God bless.”
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