Tyson Fury defeats Wladimir Klitschko and is new heavyweight champion

Wladimir Klitschko, left, and Tyson Fury pose during the promotion for Saturday’s fight/Photo by Martin Meissner, Associated Press

 

Wladimir Klitschko’s long reign as heavyweight world champion ended Saturday when he lost a unanimous decision to Tyson Fury in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Klitschko (64-4) simply could not get his punches going and was a mere shadow of the fighter who had not lost since April 2004 when he lost via 5th-round TKO to Lamon Brewster.

Fury (25-0) won by scores of 115-112, 115.112 and 116-111. Fury lost a point in the 11th round for rabbit punches.

Klitschko is 39, Fury 27.

Fury won three championship belts.

The fight was televised by HBO.

 

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Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez says he has no fear of heavy-handed Gennady Golovkin

 

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez lands a left to the jaw of Miguel Cotto on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas/Photo by John Locher, Associated Press

 

It was Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico had just defeated Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico to win a piece of the middleweight championship.

Since Gennady Golovkin holds two of the other three major belts – there are, laughingly, four – the obvious question to Alvarez afterward was, would he like to tangle with Golovkin? Golovkin is a vicious puncher with a 91-percent knockout ratio.

Alvarez replied, pulling no punches.

“A lot of people, before this fight happened, were asking me about Golovkin and I didn’t want to answer because I had respect for the person I was going  to fight tonight,” he said at the post-fight news conference. “But now they can ask me. And I know Golovkin very well. He’s a friend of mine and like I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, I have respect for him, but I’m not afraid of anybody. I’ll fight anybody, any time. I’m not afraid of anybody. And if you guys don’t believe me, I’ll get back in the ring, put the gloves on and go another 12 rounds.”

 

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Miguel Cotto, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez weigh in before about 7,000 fans

Graphic courtesy of Roc Nation Sports

 

Approximately 7,000 fans took in Friday’s weigh-in for Saturday’s middleweight fight between Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

The middleweight limit is 160 pounds, but there is a catch-weight limit of 155. Cotto weighed 153 1/2 pounds, Alvarez 155.

Only Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) can walk out of the ring with the middleweight title belt because the WBC stripped Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs) of it earlier this week when he refused to pay the sanctioning fee.

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WBC strips Miguel Cotto of middleweight belt; fight still on

Boxer Miguel Cotto greets the crowd at the start of a news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012, in New York. Cotto and Floyd Mayweather are scheduled to fight May 5 in Las Vegas.

Miguel Cotto/Photo courtesy of Associ

 

The World Boxing Council on Tuesday stripped Miguel Cotto of his middleweight title for what the WBC said was his refusal to comply with its rules and regulations. Cotto was set to defend his belt against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Saturday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). The fight is still on at this time, but Cotto won’t be able to walk away from it as champion, even if he wins, based on the WBC’s action.

Here is part of a statement released by the WBC and its president, Mauricio Sulaiman:

“After several weeks of communications , countless attempts and good faith time extensions  trying to preserve the fight as a WBC World Championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion did not agree to comply with the WBC Rules & Regulations, while Saúl Alvarez has agreed to do so.  Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight.

“The WBC hereby announces that effective immediately  has withdrawn recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC World Middleweight Champion.  If  Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wins the fight against  Cotto, he will be recognized as  the WBC middleweight world champion .

“The WBC’s decision is premised on the fact that Miguel Cotto and his camp are not willing to abide by the governing WBC Rules & Regulations, and the specific conditions the WBC established to sanction the fight.  Simply put: they are not willing to respect the very same rules and conditions which applied to  Cotto becoming WBC champion. The WBC wishes Miguel Cotto the best of luck as we truly regret the course of action which led to them taking such decision.”

The WBC did not spell out exactly where Cotto failed to live up to his obligations. But several outlets are reporting that Cotto refused to play the $300,000 sanctioning fee for Saturday’s bout.

 

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