Gennady Golovkin retains middleweight title with third-round KO of Macklin

Gennady Golovkin not only retained his middleweight title, he might have moved a step closer to a fight with the fellow champion Sergio Martinez, thanks to a spectacular third-round knockout of Matthew Macklin on Saturday in Mashantucket, Conn.

Golovkin decked Macklin (29-5) with a left hook to the body midway through the third. Macklin seemed to let out a scream as he went down, grimacing in pain. He did not come close to getting up and beating the count, and was counted out at 1:22.

With a record of 27-0 with 24 knockouts, Golovkin now has a knockout ratio of 88.8 percent. He is trained by West Covina native Abel Sanchez out of his sprawling gym in Big Bear.

Macklin, of England, said during a post-fight interview on HBO that Golovkin is definitely the best fighter he’s ever faced, and Macklin in March 2012 went 11 rounds with Martinez – even decking Martinez – before Martinez stopped him after the 11th.

Golovkin, 31, is from Kazakhstan. He cut Macklin in the second round over the left eye.

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Dan Goossen wins decision over Andre Ward, who was trying to break contract

Super middleweight champion Andre Ward’s attempt to break free from promoter Dan Goossen failed when the California State Athletic Commission on Friday ruled in Goossen’s favor following a special meeting Tuesday.

Ward had been trying to get out of his contract in part because he said Goossen did not want to attend a meeting called by Ward for himself,  manager James Prince, co-promoter Antonio Leonard and Goossen and HBO executives. Prince suggested Goossen wanted to be the only one talking to HBO about Ward’s next fight.

In Ward’s mind, Goossen was hindering his return to the ring after he had shoulder surgery in January. Ward has not fought since last September, when he stopped Chad Dawson in the 10th round in Ward’s hometown of Oakland.

Ward, who has been promoted by Goossen his entire pro career, is 26-0 with 14 knockouts. He is considered the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in most polls. He is 29.

 

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Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez sold out in less than 24 hours

Tickets for the Sept. 14 junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas are already sold out, less than 24 hours after they went on sale, Golden Boy Promotions announced Wednesday.

“This sellout doesn’t surprise me because this is what happens when the best fight the best,” said Mayweather, who will be putting his record of 44-0 and 26 knockouts on the line.

The bout will be televised on Showtime pay-per-view. It will also be available on closed-circuit at six MGM properties – Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, Monte Carlo and The Mirage.

Alvarez, at 22, is 14 years Mayweather’s junior. He is 42-0-1 with 30 knockouts.

 

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Floyd Mayweather, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez begin long press tour at Times Square

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Monday kicked off their 11-city press tour at Times Square in New York City. They will tangle in a junior middleweight title-unification bout on Sept. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).

The tour, which went to Washington D.C. on Tuesday, will shift to Mayweather’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday and eventually culminate July 2 at Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m.; it is open to the public.

The fight will take place on Mexican Independence Day weekend. Since Alvarez is from Mexico, and about as popular as a fighter can be there, he could very well have more fans in the arena on fight night. Mayweather is cool with that.

“Mexico has produced some legendary champions; I take my hat off to them,” he said. “I respect the country of Mexico, but something I’ve always enjoyed about the sport of boxing is that my fans can’t fight for me and his fans can’t fight for him.”

Speaking in front of thousands at Times Square, Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) recognized what he’s up against in attempting to hand Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) his first defeat.

“I’m younger and bigger, which are very important keys,” said Alvarez, 22; Mayweather is 36. “But you must remember that Floyd is a very intelligent fighter. But I’m going to have the right game plan.”

 

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Andre Ward trying to break from Goossen Tutor; arbitration hearing Tuesday

An arbitration hearing with the California State Athletic Commission to discuss the status of super middleweight champion Andre Ward’s promotional contract with Goossen Tutor Promotions will be held Tuesday, a source very close to the situation said Monday.
There have been rumors in the industry indicating Ward wants to break free from his contract with Goossen-Tutor, which is run by longtime promoter Dan Goossen out of Sherman Oaks.
Ward, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, had shoulder surgery in January. His most recent fight was a 10th-round TKO of Chad Dawson in September in Oakland.

Calls to Goossen have yet to be returned.

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Tickets for Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez go on sale Tuesday

Tickets for the Sept. 14 junior middleweight title unification bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico at MGM Grand in Las Vegas will go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. (PST), Golden Boy Promotions has announced.

Prices are $350, $600, $1,000, $1,500 and $2,000. (Only two tickets per person are available at the $350 level). Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, or by going online to www.ticketmaster.com or www.mgmgrand.com.

Mayweather, 36, is 44-0 with 26 knockouts. Alvarez, just 22, is 42-0-1 with 30 knockouts. Their fight will be available on Showtime pay-per-view.

 

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Adrien Broner’s victory over Paulie Malignaggi does raise a big question

Paulie Malignaggi beefed about not getting the decision in his welterweight title defense against Adrien Broner on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. There is no question that Broner deserved the decision, and he got it. That only two of the three judges scored him the winner was really the only controversy.

Judges Tom Schreck and Glenn Feldman had Broner winning by respective scores of 117-111 and 115-113. The third judge, Tom Miller, somehow had it for Malignaggi by a 115-113 count. Of course, that is not surprising because we see a lot of seemingly off-base scores in this business. Too many.

There was one question that came out of this: How is Broner’s punching power at the 147-pound welterweight division? He moved up two weight classes to challenge Malignaggi. Meaning he went from the 135-pound lightweight division to 147 pounds. He certainly landed the harder punches Saturday, but that’s not saying much because Malignaggi can’t crack much at all.

But Broner never really came that close to decking Malignaggi, even though he connected on an array of clean punches to the chin. Malignaggi has big-time heart, but it’s not like he’s never been decked before. Heck, in his fight before Broner, Malignaggi tasted the canvas in the 11th round of his title defense against Pablo Cesar Cano last October. Cano has nice, but not terrific, power. And Broner (27-0, 22 KOs) entered known as one of the hardest punchers in the game, pound-for-pound.

In fairness, it was only Broner’s first bout at welterweight. Let’s see what he does if he stays in that division.

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Mikey Garcia stops Juan Manuel Lopez in the fourth round in Dallas

Mikey Garcia of Oxnard lost his featherweight world title on the scales Friday when he weighed in two pounds over the limit. But his fight with Juan Manuel Lopez still went on and Garcia stopped Lopez in the fourth round Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The end came when Garcia hurt Lopez with a right cross to the head, then decked him with a left hook upstairs. Lopez got up, but the referee stopped it at 1:35.

Garcia (32-0, 27 KOs) was unable to win back the title because he was overweight, so it remains vacant. Only Lopez (33-3), of Puerto Rico, could have left the ring with it had he emerged victorious.

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Adrien Broner, never at a loss for insulting words, takes a shot at Malignaggi

Adrien Broner of Cincinnati  is quickly becoming one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He might be the biggest talker, even bigger than Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Broner next Saturday will move up two weight divisions to challenge Paulie Malignaggi for his welterweight title at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (on Showtime). Even though Broner is the one going from 135 pounds to 147, he will be the harder puncher because Malignaggi – as the saying goes – can’t crack an egg; he is 32-4 with seven knockouts, a knockout ratio of only 19.4 percent.

It therefore wasn’t surprising to hear what Broner had to say this week during a conference call promoting the Golden Boy Promotions event.

“… You’ll probably see another knockout; nine times out of 10, check on my record,” said Broner, who is 26-0 with 22 knockouts (84.6 KO ratio). “He’s bringing pillows to a fight that I’m throwing bricks (in), so you should see a lot of blood, a lot of bruising before the referee stops the fight.”

Broner, just 23, is an incredible talent, and he has already won titles in the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions.

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