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Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks in Las Vegas hospital

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Leon Spinks/Photo courtesy of Associated Press

 

Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks is in a Las Vegas hospital after a second operation for abdominal issues, the Associated Press reported Monday morning.

According to the story, Spinks had his second surgery over the past few days after experiencing complications from a first emergency surgery.

His wife, Brenda Spinks, spoke to the Associated Press.

“It’s going to be a long road ahead,” she said, “but he’s strong and he’s starting to recover.”

Spinks, 61, is from St. Louis. He shocked the boxing world when, in February 1978, he won a split-decision over Muhammad Ali to win two of the heavyweight world titles. It was just Spinks’ eighth professional fight.

Spinks went 26-17-3 with 14 knockouts fighting from 1977-95.

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Nonito Donaire takes on Nicholas Walters underneath Golovkin-Rubio

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Nonito Donaire/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.

 

With all the hoopla being created by middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defending his title against Marco Antonio Rubio on Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson (on HBO), let’s not forget that the main undercard fight shouldn’t be too shabby, either.

In it, Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) of San Leandro via the Philippines will defend his featherweight belt against Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) of Jamaica. This could be a good one.

“I am very excited for this fight,” Donaire said.

He’d better be as Walters is no slouch. And he’s hungry to make an even bigger name for himself.

“This is my dream fight,” said Walters, who also owns a piece of the title. “It’s now the time to show everyone who is the best 126-pound world champion in the entire world.”

 

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Longtime promoter Dan Goossen dies at the age of 64 from cancer

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Dan Goossen/Photo by of Associated Press

 

News broke over the weekend that longtime promoter Dan Goossen was critically ill and Monday morning word came that Goossen had died at the age of 64 of liver cancer.

A statement was released on behalf of the Goossen family.

“It is with overwhelming regret that we announce the passing of Dan Goossen, 64, from complications relating to liver cancer. The sudden news of his diagnosis was very much a private matter and his final days were spent surrounded by his family and closest friends. Sadness is difficult to escape as we grieve his passing. However, we are filled with pride by the fact that Dan Goossen battled this aggressive illness with boundless strength and the last days of his life were fought and lived with unflinching bravery, pure love and grace beyond measure,” the statement read.

Goossen was president of Goossen Tutor Promotions in Sherman Oaks. Among the world-class fighters he promoted over the years were Michael Nunn, Chris Arreola, Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and brothers Gabe and Rafael Ruelas.

Services are pending.

 

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More than 300 bleacher seats added for Golovkin-Rubio at StubHub

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Gennady Golovkin/Photo courtesy of Associated Press

 

More than 300 bleacher seats have been added for the Oct. 18 middleweight title fight between champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan and Marco Antonio of Mexico at StubHub Center in Carson (on HBO).

“After meeting with StubHub Center this week we were able to add an additional 324 bleacher seats on the concourse level,” said Tom Loeffler, managing director of K2 Promotions, which promotes Golovkin. “With the balance of the venue virtually sold out, we’re attempting to accommodate as many fans as many fans as possible for this event.”

Those tickets are priced at $53 and can be purchased by calling (888) 929-7849 or through the StubHub Center box office.

 

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Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez leaves Showtime to re-join HBO

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Saul “Canelo” Alvarez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

 

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Tuesday signed an agreement to return to HBO beginning with his next fight in December, the interested parties announced.

Alvarez, an ultra-popular former super welterweight champion from Mexico, fought seven times on HBO between 2010 and 2012. He moved over to Showtime after his promoter – Golden Boy Promotions – and HBO had a falling out and HBO said it would no longer work with Golden Boy.

That edict eased when HBO signed on to televise the upcoming light-heavyweight title fight between Golden Boy’s Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 8 in Atlantic City.

Alvarez has fought his five most recent fights on rival Showtime. Terms of his new agreement with HBO were not disclosed.

“For all of my career, I have wanted to fight on HBO for one main reason –  I believe it will allow more of my fans to see me in action,” said Alvarez, who is 44-1-1 with 31 knockouts. “Today marks a huge milestone for me, and I look forward to a long and successful partnership with HBO.”

Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy, was stoked.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this historic agreement between ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and HBO Sports, an agreement that marks another major step in Golden Boy Promotions’ primary goal to give boxing fans the fights they want to see,” he said.

Ken Hersham, president of HBO Sports, seemed equally jazzed.

“Everyone at HBO is excited to welcome back ‘Canelo’ Álvarez to the HBO family, and we can’t wait to re-introduce him to our subscribers,” Hershman said. “At only 24 years old, ‘Canelo’ has already established himself as one of the boxing world’s brightest stars, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship as we embark on this new chapter together.”

Alvarez last fought in July and won a split-decision over Erislandy Lara at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Alvarez lost his two super welterweight world titles to Floyd Mayweather jr. via majority decision in September 2013.

 

 

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Standing-room only tickets on sale for Golovkin-Rubio at StubHub

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Gennady Golovkin/Photo by Associated Press

 

K2 Promotions on Friday announced standing-room only tickets for the Oct. 18 middleweight title fight between champion Gennady Golovkin and Marco Antonio Rubio at StubHub Center (on HBO) would go on sale immediately.

They are $27 and they can be purchased through the StubHub Center box office as well as by calling (888) 929-7849.

“The response to this event has been unprecedented for boxing at StubHub Center as (with) four weeks to go we’re virtually sold out of tickets,” said Tom Loeffler, managing director of K2 Promotions. “Therefore, we’re putting a limited number of standing-room only tickets on sale to meet demand.”

 

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Mayweather: NFL should have stuck with original penalty on Ray Rice

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Maidana Mayweather Boxing

Floyd Mayweather Jr./Photo courtesy of Associated Press, Las Vegas Review-Journal

 

By Tim Dahlberg

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS  – Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he believes the NFL should have stuck with its original discipline of Ray Rice, saying the league was overly influenced by new video showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City casino elevator.

The boxing superstar — who has had his own domestic abuse issues — said Tuesday he didn’t feel the original two-game suspension should be changed because of video.

“I think there’s a lot worse things that go on in other people’s households, also,” Mayweather said. “It’s just not caught on video, if that’s safe to say.”

Mayweather, who spent two months in a Las Vegas jail in 2012, still maintains his innocence even after pleading to reduced domestic abuse charges stemming from an attack on his former girlfriend while their children watched. Had Mayweather not taken the plea bargain, he would have gone to trial on felony charges that could have gotten him up to 34 years in prison.

Mayweather was also named in a civil lawsuit last week by his former fiancee, who said the fighter assaulted her and kept her from leaving his Las Vegas mansion. Shantel Jackson also said the boxer publicly humiliated her by posting a sonogram showing her pregnant with twins online, and then claiming she aborted them.

Mayweather said he has been falsely accused many times.

“Like I’ve said in the past, no bumps, no bruises, no nothing,” Mayweather said. “With O.J. and Nicole, you seen pictures. With Chris Brown and Rihanna, you seen pictures. With (Chad) Ochocinco and Evelyn, you seen pictures. You guys have yet to see any pictures of a battered woman, a woman who says she was kicked and beaten (by Mayweather). So I just live my life and try to stay positive, and try to become a better person each and every day.”

 

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he’s going for first knockout in three years

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Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: Predictions and Odds for Championship Rematch

Marcos Maidana, right, lands a punch on Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their first fight won by Mayweather in May./Photo courtesy of Associated Press

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not had a knockout victory since he stopped Victor Ortiz in the fourth round with that infamous and unsuspecting one-two punch in September 2011 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Upon his arrival Tuesday at MGM Grand ahead of his title defense against Marcos Maidana there on Saturday, Mayweather said he’s going for that gusto.

“I’m pretty sure Maidana is going for the knockout,” Mayweather said. “I’m going for the knockout, so this is going to be an amazing show. I have a brilliant game plan and we’ll see how it plays out Saturday.”

Mayweather, 37, is 46-0 with 26 knockouts. Maidana, a much heavier hitter, is 35-4 with 31 knockouts. It’s true, he is going for a knockout as well. But he’ll take any kind of victory. Which makes sense, since Mayweather is undefeated and still the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world until someone proves otherwise.

 

“I’m definitely going to look for the knockout like I always do,” said Maidana, 31, “but I will take the victory any way I can.”

 

This will be a rematch of their May fight won by Mayweather via majority decision at MGM Grand.

The card is available on Showtime pay-per-view.

 

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Bernard Hopkins, Sergey Kovalev to tangle in Atlantic City on Nov. 8

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Bernard Hopkins/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

The site has been set for the Nov. 8 light heavyweight title-unification fight between Bernard Hopkins and Sergey Kovalev, and the winner is Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Golden Boy Promotions has announced.

Ageless wonder Hopkins, 49, of Philadelphia, holds two of the four major belts. Kovalev, of Russia, has one. Their bout – staged by Golden Boy Promotions along with Main Events Inc. – will be televised by HBO.

“Atlantic City is a second home to me,” said Hopkins, who will be 50 on Jan. 15. “Some of my most memorable victories and greatest accomplishments of my career have taken place there, including my fights against Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik.”

Hopkins is 55-6-2 with 32 knockouts. He has not had a knockout victory in 10 years, or since he stopped Oscar De La Hoya in the ninth round in September 2004 in Las Vegas.

Kovalev, on the other hand, has been a wrecking machine. He is 25-0-1 with 23 knockouts. He has six first-round knockouts, 10 in the second round.

“I am happy to be back in Atlantic City,” said Kovalev, 31. “This is my third time fighting here, but this is the most special because this time I am facing the legendary Bernard Hopkins.”

 

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Manny Pacquiao, Chris Algieri on Monday begin news conference tour

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Manny Pacquiao, right, tangles with Timothy Bradley on April 12 in Las Vegas./Photo by Associated Press
Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri on Monday will begin a six-city news conference tour promoting their welterweight title fight slated for Nov. 22 in Macau, China (on HBO pay-per-view.
Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs), 35, most recently took back his championship belt from Timothy Bradley with a 12-round unanimous decision in April in Las Vegas.
Algieri, of Huntington, N.Y., is 20-0 with eight knockouts. He got up from two first-round knockdowns to upset junior welterweight champiion Ruslan Provodnikov in June in Brooklyn. Algieri won a split-decision, though some thought Provodnikov deserved the victory.
The news-conference tour will begin Monday in Macau, China and then Tuesday the site will be Shanghai. It will then shift to San Francisco on Aug. 29 and to Las Vegas on Aug. 30. Pacquiao will throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 1, and a Los Angeles news conference will take place two days later on Sept. 3. The final stop will be Sept. 4 in New York City.

 

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