The "Witton Lane" Boxing Chat Thread

[Gabby15]

Gamboa 8)

Lopez 8)

Their showdown if it happens :notworthy:

[Gabby15]

"That mother***** is on the A-side meth, that's what the f*** he's on," "It's called the A-side meth. He on that or he on something else. The A-side meth is what they used to have 500 years ago. Remember when the Philippines were fighting the US soldiers? They were shooting them motherf****s with 45s. And 45s were bouncing off their motherf****ng a$$. They weren't even dying!" -- Roger Mayweather

Link

I told you all he was on Meth :lol:

[TheWalletInspector]

Hahaha. Brilliant. Would of been better in poem form though.

[TheWalletInspector]

Impressive by Gamboa.

I can not wait for Gamboa v Lopez!

[Gabby15]

Impressive by Gamboa.

I can not wait for Gamboa v Lopez!

Ehhhh don't hold your breath

It'll be a while yet

[Gabby15]

WHEN it comes to the world of boxing, Frank Warren has pretty much been seen it all.

There have been amazing highs for Britain's leading promoter, coupled with plenty of lows.

The taxman, a masked gunman and even fighters he represented have tried to KO him over the years.

But Warren is still here, fighting the corner for British boxing and doing all he can to make stars of his current crop.

Amir Khan's recent departure came as a stinging body blow, yet the show must go on.

And on February 13 it will do exactly that, when London's Wembley Arena and Warren stage the biggest card of the year so far on domestic soil.

SunSport caught up with the 57-year-old to get his thoughts on the Night of the Champions, Khan's move to America and what the future holds for the sweet science.

How is the Night of the Champions card shaping up?

We've got three title fights on, two of our Olympians, the Walsh brothers (Liam, Michael and Ryan) and George Carmen will be making his debut. It's going to be a good night and I'm really looking forward to it.

Will Danny Williams definitely defend his British title against Derek Chisora?

HIGH HOPES ... British title challenger Derek Chisora with Warren

He's fighting! He's confirmed he'll fight so I'm delighted with that.

Has your man Del Boy got the tools to beat Williams?

It's a tough fight for Chisora. He's only had 11 fights and it's a big step up for him. But if he's as good as he says he is — and as good as we think he is — then it's a fight he should look good in.

Williams has said this will be his last fight. Should he have already called it a day?

I think he should have hung his gloves up a couple of years ago, but he chose not to. He's an old campaigner and keeps coming on and upsetting the odds at times. You write him off but he always seems to keep coming back.

He's had a good innings. He's fought for the world title, has got Mike Tyson's scalp on his record and has made some good money, so hopefully this will be his last fight — win, lose or draw.

Now that Khan has left, who do you see stepping up to fill his place as your stable's No1 fighter?

There's Nathan Cleverly, Kell Brook, Paul Smith, Kevin Mitchell — I have a few kids who are on the cusp of getting title fights.

RISING STAR ... Kevin Mitchell in action against Breidis Prescott

Don't forget that just five fights ago Khan was sprawled out on the canvas against Breidis Prescott and we brought him back. Mitchell beat Prescott in his last fight and, provided he wins on February 13, he'll fight for a world title next. He's older than Khan and is ready to go, so I've got a lot of faith in him.

When Mitchell fought on the undercard of Khan's WBA title defence against Dmitriy Salita, there was talk of the two Brits squaring off. Is that a fight you'd like to make in the future?

I'd definitely like it! Mitchell's a weight below Khan at the moment but I think he could step up — or we could make a catchweight fight.

Speaking of Khan, now that he's joined Golden Boy, what's next for him?

At the minute he's got a mandatory defence against Marcos Maidana, although whether or not they're going to take the fight is anybody's guess. It definitely doesn't seem like they're keen on it happening!

How will you feel if he ends up vacating the WBA title to dodge Maidana?

I'll be a little annoyed if I'm honest. If he's going to drop it, he should have done it against Salita because that was a fight nobody thought would be hard for him. Maidana will be a much tougher proposition than Sailta, so it will look like he's running.

PASTURES NEW ... Amir Khan has moved on

Do you think the one-round demolition of Salita has gone to Khan's head?

No, I don't think it's anything like that. It just seems to be the people around him saying they don't want Maidana. Freddie Roach pretty much said Maidana doesn't mean anything and he needs to build himself up. But I find that quite a strange quote as Amir's never been shown on American TV.

Maidana, on the other hand, knocked out Golden Boy's Victor Ortiz on HBO! As a result, everybody knows him, so it's such a strange comment to make. The big fights are there for Khan, it just depends what direction he goes down.

It's a bit galling when you hear people saying the only way he's going to get the big fights is by going with Golden Boy. That's a bit insulting, just like when people say that Naseem Hamed had to leave me to go to America.

It's just garbage. I took Hamed to America and I promoted a show at Madison Square Garden before taking him to Atlantic City. I was the one who walked away when the contract came to an end, not him.

I've done lots of fights over there and I would have had no problem taking Khan to the States. It was in my plans and we even talked about it live on TV after the Salita fight.

Maidana fighting Amir in America means nothing, at least as far as the gate's concerned. Over there it's just an Argentinian fighting a Brit, whereas here it would sell. Not only that, I'd already spoken to HBO and they were willing to broadcast the fight. I'd also agreed terms with Tim Bradley for a fight to take place over here and Showtime were going to show it in the States, so he had choices already.

HAPPY DAYS ... Frank Warren with Naseem Hamed

I took Ricky Hatton to America and I also tried to do the same with Joe Calzaghe, but he wouldn't get on a plane. So it's a complete nonsense to say Amir had no option but to leave. People are just trying to distort the truth. The fact of the matter is they'd made up their minds even before the Salita fight.

I know that now because I've spoken to people and that's what I've found out. I'm just disappointed because he has still not picked the phone up to me.

So you've not even had as much as a text message from him?

No, I've not had a text, there's been nothing. I find that strange and really sad because I haven't had an argument with him. The last time I saw Amir we were mates and everything was fine.

It is sad but that's how life is and we all move on. He'll go on to do his thing and I'll do mine, which is bringing British fighters through and hopefully turning them into stars — both here and in America! All I know is I'm pretty good at what I do and I deliver.

You've already said 2010 will be a big year for British boxing. But is the future as bright on a global level, especially with the rise in popularity of mixed martial arts?

I don't think boxing is dying, like some people have suggested, far from it. Nobody thought Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manuel Marquez was a match as Mayweather was the overwhelming favourite, but it went directly against UFC. Mayweather got a million pay-per-view buys while it was reported the UFC got less than 200,000.

You'd think UFC was going on every week, but it's not. In the meantime, we promote lots of shows, we're getting more bums on seats at live events than ever and every national newspaper has got a boxing column, so I think it's really on a high.

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All we need now is a bit more TV coverage. ITV have dropped out but hopefully we can get them back in. I also think it's a national disgrace the BBC don't step up to the plate. They seem to be more concerned with putting boxing on the radio so you can hear it but can't watch it.

Is the Beeb's reluctance down to the disastrous deal they signed with Audley Harrison?

Absolutely, it ruined it. But boxing should not be blamed for somebody doing a a c**p deal. They essentially said you can fight who you like, there's no quality control and not only that your four-round fights are going to be main event.

When Amir turned pro, he had four-rounders — but they were on the undercard of title fights. I find it really galling that the BBC tried to wriggle out of the sport by using the Harrison deal as an excuse. Hopefully, after the next election, the new Minister for Sport will jump in there and kick some a***.

Just finally, you've got high hopes for Cleverly, who faces Antonio Brancalion for the vacant European light-heavyweight title on February 13. How far do you think he can go?

I think Nathan can go all the way. He's 18 and 0, he's balancing his career with his studies — which finish in May — and hopefully he'll get his degree. Provided he beats Brancalion, we can then really step things up and get him ready for world title fights.

[juanpabloingram]

Just got myself tickets for the David Haye fight 3rd April (easter weekend) for £30 each....bargain - considering I've never been to any event of this sort.

[TheWalletInspector]

Impressive by Gamboa.

I can not wait for Gamboa v Lopez!

Ehhhh don't hold your breath

It'll be a while yet

I know.

Their time shall come.

[Gabby15]

Just got myself tickets for the David Haye fight 3rd April (easter weekend) for £30 each....bargain - considering I've never been to any event of this sort.

Make sure to catch Haye's head when the most exciting HW in the world knocks him out 8)

:winkold:

[Gabby15]

Arena CEO Ahmet Öner, promoter of WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa is facing allegations of racketeering, assault and coercion in Germany according to the Hamburger Morgenpost. Öner has denied the charges.

[TheWalletInspector]

"Chris “The Dragon” John, WBA Super World Featherweight Champion is all for Bob Arum’s suggestion, let’s see who owns the Featherweight division. “I like the idea, I want to test myself Lopez and Gamboa are very good boxers it will be a great tournament the fans will be very happy and I have to be at my best, I am confident I will win”.

Then Trainer/Manager Craig Christian went on to say, “We are willing to fight both of these guys; it will bring the best out of Chris. Many people will be surprised how good he really is, he only pushes himself just enough to win, he is a smart fighter. He studies videos of his opponents and trains hard enough to get over the line. Against these two boys he will be at his best and that will be great to watch. We have a date; April the 3rd in Bali and we can accommodate Gamboa or Lopez.

Chris is the Champion, Bob Arum has challenged us so if they want it come and take it off him, we can fight on a Sunday at lunch time and send it back to America on pay per view, I think this is financially better for both boxers. Anyway to Bob Arum we accept your challenge, if you want to fight in Bali please call Sampson “Picasso” Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing LLC or if you want it in the America please call Golden Boy promotions”. "

Excellent.

[Gabby15]

John is a great boxer. Wonder how much he has left as he was pretty tired at the end of the Juarez fights but I think he might have had the flu in the lead up to it. Would love a super 6 type thing down at feather. Anyone heard a rumour that Sauerland are planning one for Cruiser?

[TheWalletInspector]

I'd love to see more super 6's at different weights. I'm not sure how successful the Super Middleweight one has been financially though.

[Gabby15]

Victor Conte, the man who provided disgraced sprinter Dwain Chambers' with illegal drugs, has branded boxing's attempts to catch cheats as "inept".

Currently working with professional boxers, Conte claims drug use in the sport is rife due to lax regulation.

"The testing that is being utilised in boxing is virtually worthless," Conte told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Conte's view is backed up by the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) which branded boxing's testing as "pathetic".

Professional boxing is one the few sports that is not regulated by a single governing body.

In the United States each commission has different rules when it comes to drug testing, with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) responsible for regulating the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight as it was to take place in Las Vegas.

That hotch-potch approach is unlike the amateur game which is under the Wada umbrella.

"Professional boxing is not in compliance and has made no effort to comply," said head of Wada David Howman.

"They give the boxer every opportunity to hide what they may have taken previously and that is not the way the world operates these days.

The concern is that boxers could be resorting to taking human growth hormone drugs (HGH) to aid their move up and down the weight divisions.

"I don't believe they want to know how rampant the use of drugs really is. Testing in boxing is completely and totally inept," said Conte.

The founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative also fears that testosterone is being used to aid the intensity of training and improve speed and power as well as Erythropoietin (EPO) to increase oxygen intake and the ability to recover more quickly after training.

Boxing is still reeling from the cancellation of the biggest payday in its history because of a drugs testing dispute.

Unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather's proposed fight with Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao had been set for 13 March. 606: DEBATE

Have your say on drugs in boxing

But the fight was called off after Mayweather's management wanted both men - regarded as the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world - to submit to blood-testing 14 days prior to the bout.

Pacquiao, however, refused saying that he had difficulty with taking blood, and after days of negotiating the pair failed to resolve their dispute.

The key to Wada's supervisory regime is its ability to test randomly.

Extraordinarily Britain's Olympic gold medallist James DeGale has yet to have a drugs test - other than the one given at the yearly medical check - since turning professional after the Beijing Games in 2008.

"As a top amateur you were tested regularly," DeGale told BBC Sport.

"It was random - they can turn up day and night. Leading up to the Olympics I was tested twice randomly and when I won gold I had a blood and urine test.

"It's pretty strict, you don't know when you are going to get tested. Joe Murray got tested five times randomly. It's good."

With such sporadic testing, Conte believes it is far too easy to avoid detection.

"They test you before a fight and after a fight," said Conte.

"One for performance-enhancing drugs and one for recreational drugs, but these athletes have advisors who understand that all you have to do is taper off the different species of drugs.

I haven't had a drugs test (in my first year as an amateur), apart from my medical that you have to have once a year

Boxer James DeGale

"Until those who control the majority of the financial gain from boxing develop a true and genuine interest in reducing the use of performance enhancing drugs, it will continue to be rampant."

Conte, who provided drugs for five-time Olympic gold medallist Marion Jones, developed the banned steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) with the help of bodybuilding chemist Patrick Arnold.

Caught in 2003, with the Balco laboratory shut down, Conte was later sentenced to four months in prison.

He has since helped Wada go about catching drugs cheats and under his new company Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning provides legal supplements for current athletes.

His clients are among others boxers Andre Ward (who is part of the Super Six series that includes Britain's Carl Froch) and Eddie Chambers (who is set to fight Wladimir Klitschko in March).

"I would say a good cut off would be random for the two months before a fight and up to five days before the fight," said Conte.

Howman is hoping the Mayweather-Pacquiao furore will provide a wake-up call for boxing.

"The sort of pressure that was imposed by Mayweather recently will hopefully gather some momentum," said Wada's chief.

"We would have thought they would have wanted to be part of the drug-testing programme that United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has and it would have shown that the boxers were clean and were prepared to fight clean."

He added: "Wada's view is quite simple, what professional boxing has in place is well short of the mark.

"The difficulty with professional boxing is that they regard themselves as private entities and outside of our jurisdiction. Largely because they reside in the United States where there is no government control and Olympic committee control."

In the past the professional game has taken a softly-softly approach to punishing boxers.

In 2000 a post-fight drug test showed that the then IBF, WBC and WBA light-heavyweight world champion Roy Jones Jr and his opponent Richard Hall both tested positive for androstenedione, which is a banned substance by the IBF. Jones was able to keep his titles and was not fined or suspended for the positive test by the IBF.

In 2005 American James Toney defeat John Ruiz by a unanimous decision to win the WBA heavyweight title but later failed his post-fight drug test, testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Toney only received a 90-day ban.

The Commissioner of Indiana Boxing, Jacob Hall, insisted that Indiana did not have a law on drug testing and that an agreement was made with Jones to send his next two pre-fight drug tests to the Indiana commission.

However, German promoter Chris Meyer, who manages former heavyweight world champion Nikolay Valuev, believes that improving drug testing is vital to boxing's survival.

Meyer operates a "zero-tolerance policy" towards doping - a stance that earlier in the month cost Spanish boxer Pablo Navascus the chance to face Sebastian Sylvester for the IBF middleweight title after the Spaniard failed a dope test during training.

"No insurance covers that and it's a big problem," said Meyer. "But we are prepared to take this risk."

Meyer added: "If you are an amateur athlete there is no discussion about this."

"We have to demonstrate to the public that we do not cheat - we play with open cards. It's important for the survival of the sport.

"Perhaps in the long run the Mayweather-Pacquiao situation will be good for boxing."

[Oaks]

I'd love to see more super 6's at different weights. I'm not sure how successful the Super Middleweight one has been financially though.

It really depends hoe big the division is, ATM the big fights are around welter weight.

[TheWalletInspector]

I'd love to see more super 6's at different weights. I'm not sure how successful the Super Middleweight one has been financially though.

It really depends hoe big the division is, ATM the big fights are around welter weight.

They would have to make sure they attract some of the top fighters in that weight division as well, as they have with Super Middleweight.

[Gabby15]

I hate trying to avoid a fight result and then seeing it by accident :x :x :x

[TheWalletInspector]

I hate trying to avoid a fight result and then seeing it by accident :x :x :x

Had to do that with Gamboa last week. Couldn't find the fight anywhere and ended up seeing it on Google news stream.

:x

[TheWalletInspector]

I see Floyd is fighting in Las Vegas again...

[Gabby15]

I see Floyd is fighting in Las Vegas again...

There's **** all wrong with Xylocaine, Vegas is where the money is 8)