Eric Gomez confirms Dodgers offer to host Golovkin-Alvarez on Sept. 16

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Robert Morales

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Gennady Golovkin pose after their fight was announced for Sept. 16 at a site still to be determined/Photo by Gene Blevins

Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions, on Saturday confirmed a report that Magic Johnson and the Dodgers have made an offer to host the Sept. 16 middleweight title fight between champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico at Dodger Stadium.
De La Hoya told the L.A. Times that he had a conversation with Johnson on Friday. Gomez said that talk came after he had three with Dodgers executive vice-president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen.
“I had the initial talks with Lon and we set up a call with Magic and Oscar and Magic spoke with Oscar yesterday,” Gomez said Saturday afternoon. “They’re very interested.”

Gomez said he could not get into specifics about the proposal, “But it’s a very interesting offer. It’s something we’re going to explore. They’re very serious.”

Other strong contenders to host what figures to be a blockbuster event are AT&T Stadium near Dallas and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Abel Sanchez: Canelo will have GGG in front of him, not Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Robert Morales

No one likes him: Gennady Golovkin slams 'boring' Canelo Alvarez after Chavez Jr win

HBO broadcaster Max Kellerman (center) speaks to Gennady Golovkin (left) and Canelo Alvarez after the Sept. 16 fight between Golovkin and Alvarez was announced following Alvarez’s victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past Saturday. Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, stands between Kellerman and Golovkin/Photo by Getty Images

Trainer Abel Sanchez had just watched Canelo Alvarez of Mexico out-box and out-punch countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Sanchez then sat on a makeshift dais inside the ring to discuss the Sept. 16 bout between his fighter – middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin – and Alvarez, which was announced immediately after Alvarez defeated Chavez by three scores of 120-108.

Sanchez was impressed with Alvarez’s work, but he reminded a reporter that Alvarez will be in with a different kind of beast when he challenges Golovkin at a site still to be determined.

“I think Canelo displayed great boxing skills,” Sanchez said. “But he’s not going to have Chavez in front of him (in September), it’s going to be Gennady Golovkin.”

Golovkin, 35, is 37-0 with 33 knockouts. He was on a string of 22 consecutive knockouts that was snapped in March when Daniel Jacobs went all 12 rounds with Golovkin in a hotly contested bout won by Golovkin by scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 115-112.

Alvarez, a former junior middleweight and middleweight champion, is 49-1-1 with 34 knockouts. At 26, he is nine years Golovkin’s junior.

‘Tino’ Avila confident he can hang with South El Monte’s Joseph Diaz Jr.

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Robert Morales

Manuel Avila_02.jpeg

Manuel ‘Tino’ Avila is seen here during a recent workout in preparation for Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz Jr./Photo by Julio C. Sanchez/Team Tino

Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. of South El Monte is ranked No. 2 in the world at featherweight by one major governing body. He is therefore on the cusp o f a world-title shot. In order to get it soon, he’s going to have to defeat Manuel “Tino” Avila on Saturday on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. super middleweight main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

Diaz is 23-0 with 13 knockouts. Avila, of Fairfield, is 22-0 with eight knockouts. Avila is ranked No. 10, which means Diaz could be facing his toughest opponent to date. Avila sure believes that.

“My team and I have been working extremely hard,” a confident Avila said during a recent workout. “I’ve got all the right people in my corner helping me get to the top.

“I’m sparring with some really good fighters, I’ve taken my conditioning to new levels. I’m amped for this fight.”

Avila had a message for Diaz.

“JoJo Diaz, you better be ready for me on May 6,” Avila said.

Diaz is 24, Avila is 25.

Report: Gennady Golovkin won’t fight Saunders, will wait for Canelo Alvarez

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Robert Morales

Undefeated, Unified World Middleweight Champion Gennady, “GGG” Golovkin works outs for the media on April 20, 2016 at the Wild Card West gym in Santa Monica. GGG will defend his titles (WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC against Undefeated Mandatory Challenger Dominic Wade on Saturday, April 23 at the Fabulous Forum. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Southern California News Group)

Gennady Golovkin/Photo by Gene Blevins

Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will not fight in June after all and will instead wait to see if he can get Canelo Alvarez in the ring in September, according to a report out of London by ESPN.com.

According to the report, Golovkin had been considering a fight with fellow champion Billy Joe Saunders for June 10 in Golovkin’s native Kazakhstan. But the combination of Golovkin getting banged up in his recent title defense against Daniel Jacobs and Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren wanting to move the fight up a week, Golovkin and his team – which includes K2 Promotions – has decided to pass up that fight and wait for Alvarez.

There is no guarantee Alvarez and his promoter – Oscar De La Hoya – will make the fight with Golovkin. Alvarez and De La Hoya both say they want to make it, but De La Hoya told reporters at a recent news conference that if Alvarez’s fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena ends up being terrific, he’d consider doing a rematch of that bout.

That would mean that if Alvarez were to win next month, and in a possible rematch with Chavez, Alvarez would not be getting into the ring with Golovkin until 2018.

The report suggested Golovkin would be interested in fighting Chavez should he beat Alvarez.

Canelo Alvarez will want to rip off Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s head more than others when they tangle in May

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Robert Morales

Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a jab at Canelo

Canelo Alvarez, right, reacts to a punch thrown by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their September 2013 junior middleweight title fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas won by Mayweather/Associated Press photo

Sometimes a rather harsh question can result in a terrific response. Such was the case recently when Canelo Alvarez was asked during a conference call if, after 50 previous opponents, this is the first time he’d like to rip off his opponent’s head.

The question was, of course, in reference to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs), who will take on Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) on May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). It’s crystal clear that there is no love lost between these fellow Mexicans.

“No, he’s one more of the 50 of all my opponents that I’ve faced,” Alvarez said. “I’ve wanted to rip their head off; I wanted to beat them; I wanted to them knock them out. This is a little extra. There’s a little bit more motivation, of course, because of the rivalry.”

The two will tangle at a catch-weight of 164 1/2 pounds

Jason Quigley defeats Glen Tapia to win regional belt, figures many more on way

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Robert Morales

Jason Quigley/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

Jason Quigley of Ireland won a regional middleweight title on Thursday when he took a unanimous decision over Glen Tapia in the main event at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. Quigley, ranked No. 10 by one governing body, believes it’s just the beginning of bigger things to come.

“I’m taking this little bambino (title belt) home with me, to my people in Donegal, Ireland and celebrate with my loved ones,” Quigley said. “Then when I come back, I’m going to celebrate with my team. Everyone here has been on my team since my performance on the Canelo-Lara undercard, and this is a steppingstone to many more belts that are coming my way.”

Quigley (13-0, 10 KOs) opened his pro career with a TKO of Howard Reece on July 12, 2014 on the undercard of the junior middleweight bout between Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara won by Alvarez via split-decision at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Tickets are on sale for Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Robert Morales

Canelo Alvarez lands a right uppercut to the side of Liam Smith’s head during their junior middleweight title fight won by Alvarez via ninth-round knockout this past September in Arlington, Texas/Associated Press

Tickets for the May 6 super middleweight fight between Canelo Alvarez of Mexico and countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas are now on sale.

Prices for the Golden Boy Promotions card are $75, $125, $200, $300, $400, $600, $800, $1,000, $1,250 and $1,500. They can be purchased by calling 888-929-7849 or by going online to www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and Chavez (50-2-1, 32 KOs) will be fighting at a catch-weight of 164 1/2 pounds, 3 1/2 pounds under the super middleweight limit.

The bout will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

Canelo Alvarez gets second opinion on thumb, and he will not need surgery

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Robert Morales

Canelo Alvarez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Junior middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez of Mexico received a good report Wednesday when he visited Los Angeles-area hand and wrist specialist Dr. Kenneth R. Sabbag to get a second opinion on the avulsion fracture of his right thumb.

Alvarez had been told by his personal physician in Mexico he did not need surgery. That was confirmed by Dr. Sabbag.

“So the verdict – he doesn’t need surgery, which is great,” said Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions, for which Alvarez fights.

Gomez said Alvarez will go back to Dr. Sabbag on Nov. 10. If given a clean bill of health, Alvarez will be able to start using the hand to “punch a little bit,” Gomez said.

Gomez also said there is still a chance Alvarez could fight again early next year, but that will only happen if he is 100 percent.

Alvarez sustained the injury during his ninth-round knockout of Liam Smith on Sept. 17 in Arlington, Tecas.

Canelo Alvarez in Los Angeles for second opinion on fractured right thumb

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Robert Morales

Canelo Alvarez/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Newly crowned junior middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez of Mexico was in Los Angeles on Wednesday to get a second opinion on the avulsion fracture in his right thumb sustained during his ninth-round knockout of Liam Smith on Sept. 17 in Arlington, Texas.

Alvarez fights under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Its president, Eric Gomez, said Alvarez was going to visit hand and wrist specialist Dr. Kenneth R. Sabbag to make sure that the therapy ordered by Alvarez’s personal physician is all it will take for Alvarez’s recovery.

Gomez said that depending on how things go, Alvarez could be ready to fight again by “early next year.” As for an opponent, Gomez was asked if Willie Monroe Jr. remains a possible opponent for that next fight.

There was talk from Gomez before Alvarez beat Smith that the winner of the undercard fight between Monroe (21-2, 6 KOs) and Gabriel Rosado, who also fights for Golden Boy, could be next for Alvarez. Monroe emerged via wide unanimous decision. But Monroe said in a statement this week he now believes Golden Boy has no intention of giving him the fight.

“I don’t think it’s Canelo himself, but it is his team,” said Monroe, who boxes for Banner Promotions. “I know Canelo would fight me. I think it is his trainers who fear that they can’t prepare Canelo for my style.”

Monroe, of Rochester, N.Y., is a southpaw.

“If he is a true man, they should stick to their word,” Monroe said. “The plan was for the winner of that fight to be able to fight Canelo. They thought Rosado would win, and he would just be a guy that would get pounded by Canelo.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, and it was me who did not want to fight an aggressive fighter, I would look like a punk.”

Gomez during an Aug. 29 conference call did not say the winner of Monroe-Rosado would definitely get Alvarez, but he did say, “The winner of this fight very well could be fighting Canelo in December.”

Well, December wasn’t going to happen once Alvarez injured his thumb, but that hasn’t changed Monroe’s desire to fight Alvarez. Gomez on Wednesday addressed that, saying all options remain possible.

“As is customary with Canelo, we’re going to leave all the doors open,” Gomez said. “We would consider anybody. That’s what’s customary. We’re not going to close any doors.”

Bernard Hopkins will decipher recent fights of Golovkin, Canelo on Wednesday’s episode of ‘The Fight Game with Jim Lampley’

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Robert Morales

Gennady Golovkin lands a punch to the chest of Kell Brook during their Sept. 10 fight in England/Associated Press photo by Nick Potts

Future Hall of Fame fighter Bernard Hopkins on Wednesday night will decipher the recent performances of middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin and now-junior middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on the next “The Fight Game with Jim Lampley,” on HBO.

Golovkin (36-0, 33 KOs) on Sept. 10 stopped Kell Brook in the fifth round of their title fight in England. A week later, Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) knocked out Liam Smith in the ninth round in Arlington, Texas. Boxing fans remain hopeful Golovkin and Alvarez will tangle next September.

There will also be a feature on manager Egis Klimas, who manages light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko.

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