Boxing

By Steve Kim: Right now, there is a bit of a vacuum in Puerto Rican boxing. This proud island, which treats the sport as it’s national pastime, has had a glorious succession of prizefighters that has seen the likes of Wilfredo Gomez, Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto become cultural icons. But with Cotto clearly on the back nine of his career and Juan Manuel Lopez failing to living up to expectations, a void currently exists. Currently, there is just one major beltholder from Puerto Rico, R

Lee Purdy has failed to make the weight for his world title fight against Devon Alexander in Atlantic City on Saturday night.

James DeGale made an impressive debut across the atlantic on Friday night with a second round stoppage victory over Sebastien Demers.

Photos: Zanfer Promotions Edgar Sosa 112 vs. Givanni Segura 112 Adrian Yung 126 vs. Syvester Lopez 125 “Cobrita” Gonzalez 116 vs. Noe Martinez 116.5 Rodrigo Gonzalez 122 vs. Ricardo Hernandez 124 Silvia Torres 108 vs. Alexia Munoz 108.3 Venue: Plaza … Continue reading →

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside Thompson Boxing Promotions returned to the Inland Empire Friday night for its Path to Glory series at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California. Riverside’s Richard “El Terminador” Contreras (10-1-1, 9 KOs) returned to the ring … Continue reading →

Scott Christ Is Lucas Matthysse being overhyped? Yeah, probably. Look, I think he should be undefeated, but I don't have any problem with the fact that Judah got the win over him. (I do have a sincere problem with the Alexander fight, which I thought was truly clear and a totally bogus hometown decision.) But Matthysse Fever has exploded due to wins over a natural featherweight in Humberto Soto, Olusegun Ajose, and Mike Dallas Jr. We're not exactly talking about the cream of the crop here. What makes the love more logical is the fact that Matthysse has identified and done his best to correct the flaws he did have. He consciously avoids starting slow now, and as far as his skills go, he's underrated if anything. He doesn't have great defense or great hand speed or anything, but he's a very sound fighter overall. When you mix that in with very good power, you've got a fighter to be reckoned with. Peterson, though, is an interesting case himself. Of all the top-level fighters out there, Lamont is one of the most resilient. He was really getting outfought by both Amir Khan and Victor Ortiz, but rallied in those fights to come back to even with both of them. He started a bit slow against Kendall Holt last time out, then crushed him. The only fighter to really smoke him was Tim Bradley, and even Bradley had to work for just about every round, albeit while winning just about every round, too. I think this is a fantastic fight. All I'll say is I'll be surprised if either man dominates, and a stoppage either way -- a real one, not due to injury or the like -- would also surprise me, even given Matthysse's fearsome reputation as a one-punch deathbot. This is going to ge a damn good fight in every way. You ever just have that real big gut feeling? Draw. Tom Craze It's not like it hasn't been mentioned or anything, but this is just a superb fight, just a good old-fashioned match-up between probably two from the top three fighters at 140 - or one pound north of that - and all credit to Golden Boy for putting it together. As a result, it's genuinely not easy to call. Matthysse has been priced as the 3/1 betting favourite and there's every argument to say that's much too lopsided a take on things. Despite the long lay-off, Peterson looked terrific last time out against Holt and seems to have morphed into this bulldozer of an inside fighter. It works. Matthysse won't have to go looking for Peterson here, which will be just fine by him. We've seen Matthysse look good against more elusive guys, purer boxers, and ultimately lose, so it'll be fascinating to see how he reacts against someone who's not just unlikely to budge, but throws back with a ferocity and determination he hasn't seen before. We've also seen Peterson hurt by lesser punchers, although, given that 31/33 KOs stat, that's hardly much of a filter with Matthysse in the conversation. I think this could end up looking a lot like Berto-Guerrero, but with a more definitive ending. And without a shoulder roll in sight. Matthysse TKO11. Kory Kitchen How can anyone not be looking forward to this fight? I can't see it being bad, though it does have some huge expectations to fulfill. I think the early rounds will consist of Matthysse applying heavy pressure while Peterson attempts to circle him as much as possible, not allowing Matthysse to sustain an attack. Matthysse will land some glancing shots that may have the crowd saying "Ohhhh!", but nothing terribly effective. As the rounds progress, I think Peterson goes downstairs more and sets up an effective jab. Matthysse's workrate decreases a little while Peterson's picks up. It's a close fight down the stretch with Peterson landing more frequently and with greater accuracy in the championship rounds. Peterson by close decision. Dave Oakes Peterson vs. Matthysse looks like a great fight on paper, both like to come forward and both hit with authority, although Matthysse is the heavier handed. Peterson has been dropped numerous t

Scott Christ I've seen Lee Purdy fight enough to feel like I know what he's capable of, and more importantly, what he is not. Lee Purdy is a good domestic contender in the UK, which sounds like crap, so let me put it another way: He's a solid welterweight, but he is a good bit short of world class level. That's just the facts as I see them having watched Purdy in action against the likes of Craig Watson, Colin Lynes, Gumersindo Carrasco, and others. Alexander is not an elite fighter, but he's a legitimate top ten welterweight who 15 months ago wiped the floor with Marcos Maidana, and then easily avoided Randall Bailey last October to win a clear if boring decision. A > B so A > C isn't always the case in boxing, but would I pick Purdy over Maidana, or even Bailey? Probably not, honestly. He's got no shot with Alexander, and will be sorely outclassed. Alexander TKO-6. Tom Craze While this is clearly a huge step up for Purdy, and almost certainly a step too far at that, it's actually a fight that I'm fairly intrigued about. It's an interesting style clash. Alexander's difficult to pin down at the moment - against the right opponent (see Maidana), he can look fantastic, against the wrong one and he can be painfully dull, as he was last time out against Bailey despite winning nearly every round without breaking so much as a sweat. If nothing else, Purdy should be the right kind of opponent for him - and we know what we're likely to get from him. He's an entertaining watch, in general, but, with all due respect to those he's fought before, Devon Alexander is simply much, much better. He's not a 20/1 favourite here for nothing. Were it Kell Brook in the B-side here I'd be sticking to the same prediction, too. Alexander by decision. Kory Kitchen Despite being from Missouri, I must admit that I am not a big fan of Devon Alexander. He gets hometown decisions, and his style reeks worse than my niece's diapers. That said, I think he beats Purdy handily. He will move in and out (mostly out) and not let Purdy to land anything clean. Alexander will pump the jab continuously, and hold if things get too close for his liking. I pray this does not earn him a fight with Floyd Mayweather in the fall. Alexander by wide decision. Dave Oakes Alexander's a quality operator and a seasoned world champion, albeit of a slightly lower standard than the Bradley's, Pacquiao's and Marquez's of the world. He's a significant step-up in class for Purdy, who hasn't fought above domestic level before - if you discount a washed-up Cosme Rivera earlier this year.Purdy throws a lot of punches and can bang a bit, he'll be looking to constantly pressurize Alexander, which is something the St. Louis fighter doesn't always look comfortable with. The trouble for Purdy is that he fights in straight lines, isn't the quickest and has appalling footwork - at times he ends up standing square on and leaves himself vulnerable when doing so.Speed and movement are key for Alexander, he's a clever boxer who is miles ahead of Purdy in terms of ability, footwork and speed. Colin Lynes thoroughly outboxed Purdy 18 months ago and whilst Purdy has shown improvements since, it's hard to imagine him being able to cope with Alexander. Purdy will be aggressive, he knows no other way, he may come a cropper with that approach, though. I can see Alexander peppering Purdy with clean shots as the Brit comes forward, eventually those shots will take there toll and Purdy will do well to see the twelve rounds out. Alexander TKO9 Final Tally: Devon Alexander 4, Lee Purdy 0.

Scott Christ It's worth wondering who the "house fighter" is here -- Cano is Mexican and fighting in Mexico, and it's a WBC-sanctioned bout, but Mosley is a well-liked veteran who's getting close to the bottom of the barrel by his standards, and a loss here pretty much kills his career, and the chance to juice a few more dollars out of him. I mean, there's a difference between being the Shane Mosley of right now and the Nate Campbell of right now. In terms of how far off their best days they are, they're not really far apart. But you don't see Nate headlining, even on FOX Deportes. Mosley, 41, shouldn't be fighting if we're using things like his ability to perform as the measuring stick for that statement, but he's passing physicals well enough to satisfy commissions, he's willing, and, well, at least he tried against Canelo, unlike his rather pitiful display against Pacquiao in 2011. Cano is, perhaps unfortunately, exactly mediocre enough to prolong Shane Mosley's career. It's so easy to pick Cano to win this fight, perhaps so handily that it becomes painful to watch a once-elite fighter flounder against a guy who will never sniff the heights he once reached, but I'm going to pick Mosley to win unimpressively and somewhat controversially on the cards. Here's the truth: I hope I'm wrong, and he loses without taking a real beating, and then that's just it. Mosley by split decision. Tom Craze This, frankly, is a fight that I'd rather wasn't happening at all, but such is life and divorce settlements. Were this ten years ago - possibly even four, looking at the version of Mosley circa 1999, I'd have little hesitation in calling this as a Mosley early-to-mid rounds stoppage. As it is, I have trouble imagining any way in which Sugar Shane - if that moniker can still be applied without an uncomfortable grimace - can win this at all. That's not to say he won't, though, and he's a man who's defied the odds more than once before. It's worth remembering, of course, that while Mosley's horrendous recent 0-3-1 run looks as horrendous on paper as it did in the ring, he has only lost to the very best. And not just 'very best' in that hackneyed turn of phrase, but the elite: Mayweather, Pacquiao, and a one-sided loss last time out to an almost-certain pound-for-pound mainstay, and divisional top dog, for the next few years in Canelo Alvarez. What's debatable is whether Mosley can still hang with the guys a rung or two below, as almost everyone is. Cano's no world-beater, and quite possibly never will be, but Mosley, fighting on the road against a high-output guy the best part of twenty years his junior, doesn't bode well. The counter to that would be that an active, come-forward kind of guy is exactly what Mosley needs, rather than the elusive Sergio Moras of the world, but it seems a big ask. Cano by UD. Kory Kitchen I think Cano is a little better than what most give him credit for. I thought he beat Paulie Malignaggi, and he has a fan-friendly style to boot. That spells trouble for Mosley, who will struggle against a younger opponent coming forward, and in need of a bit of a breakthrough type of win. Cano will try to get Mosley out of there in fear of losing another fight on the cards. "Sugar" Shane may win a round or two, but the effective shots will come from Cano. Mosley will be out of gas by the middle rounds and looking for a way out. Cano will oblige. Cano by 8th round stoppage in a sad fight. Dave Oakes To be brutally honest, I've not got a great deal of interest in this fight. Mosley shouldn't be fighting any more, he's got nothing left at all in terms of offence, not a thing, all he's got left is his rock solid chin, and even that showed signs of weakness in the Pacquiao fight.Cano is a reasonable operator, he gave Malignaggi plenty to deal with last time out and looks to be a fighter who still has the potential to improve a lot over the next couple of years. I'd say Cano is better suited to 140lbs rather than 147, Mosl

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Lee Purdy of England failed to make the 147-pound weight limit at Friday's weigh-in, one day before he was scheduled to challenge welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander of St. Louis on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J..