Oscar De La Hoya: 15,000 tickets sold in 2 hours for ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-James Kirkland fight May 9 at Minute Maid Park

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez sits at the dais during Tuesday’s news conference in Houston promoting his May 9 fight against James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park/Photo by Soobum Im, Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Tickets for the May 9 junior middleweight fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and James Kirkland slated for May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston (on HBO) are, not surprisingly, selling like hot cakes.

“In just two hours since they went on sale, 15,000 tickets have been sold for May 9,” promoter Oscar De La Hoya said.

Alvarez, a former junior middleweight champion, is 41-1-1 with 31 knockouts. Kirkland, of Austin, Texas, is 32-1 with 28 knockouts.

There is no title on the line in this one, but there doesn’t have to be as this figures to be one heck of a fight.

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

PHOTOS: Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and James Kirkland host news conference

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico and James Kirkland of Austin, Texas on Tuesday played host to a news conference at Minute Maid Park in Houston promoting their junior middleweight fight there May 9 (on HBO). The card is being staged by Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions. The ultra-popular Alvarez, 24, is 44-1-1 with 31 knockouts. Kirkland, who will be 31 on March 19, is 32-1 with 28 knockouts. This should be an outstanding main event. Check out some of the photos from the news conference:

 

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, top, poses with fans at the news conference at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The fighters and their camps meet on the dais (middle photo) and James Kirkland, bottom, does interviews after the proceedings/Photos Tony Bullard, Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman plans on toe-to-toe fight with ‘The Ghost’

Keith Thurman vs. Leonard Bundu: Preview and Prediction for Welterweight Fight

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman, left, will defend his welterweight title Saturday against Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero in the main event at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Photo by Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

 

If you’re not looking forward to Saturday’s main event between welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on NBC), you might want to check to see if you still have a pulse for prize-fighting.

Although Thurman (24-0) went the distance in his most recent fight – a 12-round shutout of Leonard Bundu in December at MGM Grand – he has otherwise lived up to his nickname with 21 knockouts in 24 starts. He was asked this week what fans can expect to see against Guerrero.

“I’ll be honest, I’m going to stand there and exchange with him for six rounds and if he’s still standing there, we’ll see,” said Thurman, 26, of Clearwater, Fla. “With my punching power, the KO can come at any time with that one punch. If he walks into it or I lunge at him … it can even be a body shot.

“I’m just looking to get him out of there. I’m going to do what I need to do to stay a champion.”

Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KOs), 31, has held world titles in featherweight and super featherweight divisions and interim world titles in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. He realizes what the hard-hitting Thurman can bring to the ring.

“Thurman has a lot of power and that’s something I must be aware of,” said Guerrero, of Gilroy.

 

 

 

 

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday will host annual turkey giveaway

Image

Joseph Diaz Jr., a 2012 U.S. Olympian out of South El Monte, will be among the fighters assisting in the annual turkey giveaway/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday will host his annual turkey giveaway at Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School in East Los Angeles beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Among the Golden Boy Promotions fighters expected to be on hand are Gabriel Rosado of Philadelphia, Julian Ramirez of East Los Angeles, Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte and Diego De La Hoya, Oscar De La Hoya’s 20-year-old cousin from Mexicali.

(Note: The families receiving the turkeys have been pre-selected.)

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

East Los Angeles’ Julian Ramirez looking to put on good show Thursday

Image

Julian Ramirez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

Featherweight Julian Ramirez is not yet a top-10 fighter, but he has the talent to get there. Ramirez (12-0, 7 KOs) on Thursday will put his undefeated record on the line when he takes on Pedro Melo (9-6-2, 2 KOs) of Tijuana in the semi-main event at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio (on Fox Sports 1).

“I’m ready for Thursday,” the hard-hitting Ramirez said Tuesday. “Hopefully, the knockout comes, but I won’t force anything. If it comes, it comes. I’m going to give it my all Thursday. I just want to please the crowd and give everyone a great show.”

The 21-year-old Ramirez, who always gives an exciting show, will be in his fourth fight this year. He attended Alhambra High School.

This card is being staged by Golden Boy Promotions

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Bernard Hopkins, Sergey Kovalev on weight for Saturday’s showdown

Image

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/content_link/K4tOwVOlRwsU3Bom6PfkUsmUnx61iVuotocyIXQl3PcBYFBD81Nrux4IQXBmUD0T

Bernard Hopkins, left, and Sergey Kovalev engage each other in the traditional staredown after making weight Friday in Atlantic City/Photo courtesy of Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev on Friday both made weight for their light heavyweight title-unification bout Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (on HBO).

Hopkins weighed in at 173 1/2 pounds, Kovalev at 174 1/2. The limit is 175.

Hopkins, 49, is 55-6-2 with 32 knockouts. Kovalev, 31, is 25-0-1 with 23 knockouts.

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

HBO’s “24/7: Pacquiao/Algieri” will be shown on Saturday night

Image

Manny Pacquiao/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

HBO’s “24/7: Pacquiao/Algieri” will be shown Saturday night about 10 on HBO after the light heavyweight title-unification bout between Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev.

It will promote the Nov. 22 welterweight title fight between champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Chris Algieri of Huntington, N.Y. in Macau, China.

Pacquiao, 35, is 56-5-2 with 38 knockouts. Algieri, 30, is 20-0 with eight knockouts. The fight will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

 

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Amir Khan, Devon Alexander in L.A. to formally announce Vegas fight

Image

Devon Alexander, top, and Amir Khan/Photos courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

Former junior welterweight champion Amir Khan of England and former junior welterweight and welterweight champion Devon Alexander of St. Louis on Tuesday will host a Los Angeles news conference to formally announce their Dec. 13 fight that will be contested at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime).

Alexander, 26-2 with 14 knockouts, was junior welterweight champion in 2009-11 before losing his belt to Timothy Bradley in January 2011. Alexander, 27, then won the welterweight title with a victory over Randall Bailey in October 2012, but lost it to Shawn Porter in December 2013.

Khan, also 27, held the junior welterweight title from 2009-11, losing it in 2011 to Lamont Peterson in December 2011. Khan is 29-3 with 19 knockouts.

This Golden Boy Promotions card will also feature Keith “One Time” Thurman defending his interim welterweight belt against Leonard Bundu. Also, Demetrius Andrade will defend his junior middleweight belt against Jermell Charlo.

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Marco Antonio Rubio doesn’t make weight, can’t fight for Golovkin’s belt

Image

 

Gennady Golovkin/Photo courtesy of Associated Press

 

Marco Antonio Rubio on Friday weighed in at 161.8 pounds for his fight Saturday against middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin at StubHub Center (on HBO). According to a publicist working the event, Rubio signed a new contract for 162 pounds just before the weigh-in because he knew he wasn’t going to make the 160-pound limit.

This means Rubio will not be able to challenge for Golovkin’s belt. It also means Rubio was stripped of an interim belt he held.

Golovkin weighed in at 159 pounds.

 

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail

Even more seats added for Golovkin-Rubio, will go on sale Tuesday

Gennady Golovkin/Photo by Associated Press

 

The middleweight title fight between champion Gennady Golovkin and Marco Antonio Rubio set for Saturday at StubHub Center (on HBO) has proven to be quite the hot ticket. K2 Promotions, which promotes Golovkin, already put an extra 300 seats on sale and they sold out. Now, 284 more bleacher seats will go on sale Tuesday at noon.

Those tickets are priced at $53, which does not include service fees. They can be purchased by calling 888-929-7849, as well as by visiting the StubHub Center box office Monday through Friday until 6 p.m.

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit Tumblr Email Snailmail