Mason Menard: 'Rock Hard Mighty'

James Oddy
12/05/2016 6:06am

In boxing, one shot can alter the course of a career, for better or worse. When Louisiana lightweight Mason Menard (31-1, 23 KOs) connected with a beautiful counter right to starch previously unbeaten Eudy Bernardo in Verona, New York, last month, he announced his arrival as one to watch in the division. The bout, broadcast on Showtime in the U.S., ended in what many felt could be the knockout of the year after Menard, nicknamed 'Rock Hard Mighty', had impressed with his all round skills. The 27-year-old Menard, back in his home State, was gracious enough to provide Boxing Monthly with some of his time.

The return of the Saint

Mark Butcher
11/05/2016 8:21am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKtLQCRte1Q

The Saint has risen. Career obituaries were being drafted by the usual suspects when George Groves was dropped and outpointed by WBC 168lbs champion Badou Jack in Las Vegas last September, but that split decision defeat prompted the West Londoner to revaluate and partner with trainer-of-the-moment Shane McGuigan. “I feel good at the moment. Shane and his team relieve a lot of the pressures that come with boxing,” Groves, 28, told Boxing Monthly recently in his PR team’s swish office complex in Soho, central London. “I feel confidence in Shane and his dad [Barry], his conditioning coaches, the way he structures the sessions. I felt that after the Badou Jack fight something wasn’t right. There was a lot of stuff that needed to be changed. I’m back feeling more comfortable with the way I’m training."

Golovkin uncut: GGG talks Canelo super-fight, Saunders offer and more

Zhanar Utesheva
10/05/2016 4:48pm

There are many ways to gain attention in the boxing world. Gennady Golovkin is becoming a household name and getting on front pages of newspapers by doing his job well in the ring. He remains a very modest man in life and hardly needs any extra PR push. He fills in the boxing arenas when he fights. There are always queues to meet and greet him when he doesn’t fight. Even on other fighters’ big fight events he is surrounded by the media and manages to get in all the news reports. We decided to talk to GGG about everyone’s hot topic. It is about the Canelo – Golovkin fight. It is about what helps to make this fight happen or prevents it from happening. It is about why this fight would be the best. Gennady, first, I would like to say that your entrance into the ring was quite unexpected... - I was sitting in the front row. Canelo invited me into the ring, and I agreed thinking that he wanted to say something to my face or maybe to announce something. But there was nothing. Most likely, his team did not expect that I would go up there. They tried to keep Canelo as far as possible from me.

 

Richmond Unchained: exclusive extract

Luke G. Williams
10/05/2016 8:36am

Luke G. Williams’ book Richmond Unchained: the biography of the world’s first black sporting superstar has been short-listed in the Biography of the Year category at the 2016 Cross Sports Book Awards. The first ever full-length biography of slave turned prominent bare-knuckle boxer Bill Richmond (1763-1829), Richmond Unchained recreates the thrilling and dangerous world of Georgian pugilism. Here Boxing Monthly presents an extract from the book, in which we find the remarkable Richmond making an appearance at one of the most prominent state occasions of the 19th Century…

Canelo-Khan post-fight thoughts

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
08/05/2016 7:41am

Michael Montero gives his thoughts from ringside, just moments after Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez scored a one-punch knockout win over Amir Khan in the sixth round of their 155lbs catchweight title bout inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Queensbury Boxing League takes the plunge

Paul Zanon
08/05/2016 2:40am

If you are not familiar with Queensbury Boxing League (QBL), it was formed in July 2009 and promoted its first event in October 2009. It was originally called the Queensbury Fight League for its first five events, but then it changed to Queensbury Boxing League to reflect that it was boxing rather than fighting. Since its launch, former Southern Area and English welterweight champion (and son of former undisputed world middleweight champion Alan) Ross Minter, alongside his business partner Alan Foley, have successfully promoted over 50 shows. The format the competition was simple. With nine weight categories and five skill levels, boxers would battle it out over three, four and five minute rounds, against opponents of equal skill and ability. A win or a loss would then give the individual the opportunity to move up and down the rankings dependent on their result. The successful competitors would then earn the right to challenge for one of the five separate titles in each weight division, with the Queensbury British title being the ultimate goal. With a successful league in place, why did the QBL decide to throw their hat into the pro ring? 

Canelo Alvarez - Amir Khan weigh-in report

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
07/05/2016 6:39am

Michael Montero reports from the weigh-in between Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Amir Khan ahead of their WBC middleweight title bout from the TMobile Arena in Las Vegas on HBO PPV and BoxNation in the UK.

Canelo-Khan undercard weigh-ins

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
07/05/2016 6:27am

Coverage of the undercard weigh-ins for the Canelo-Khan PPV card live on HBO Boxing from the all new TMobile Arena in Las Vegas on 7 May including David Lemieux - Glen Tapia; Mauricio Herrera - Frankie Gomez; Patrick Teixeira - Curtis Stevens; Diego De La Hoya - Rocco Santomauro and Jason Quigley - James De La Rosa.

Granat ready to explode

Luke G. Williams
06/05/2016 9:01am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJaTV4B_KGs

Appropriately enough for a man whose surname - roughly translated from his native Swedish - means ‘hand grenade’, Adrian Granat is a talent who is set to explode into the top rank of the heavyweight division over the next couple of years. You’d think that Granat’s surname would have earned him a typically hyperbolic nickname, such as the ‘Grenade’ or ‘The Swedish Bomber’, yet he is instead known as ‘The Pike’. Not knowing much about fish I’ve always been puzzled as to the derivation of this somewhat unconventional moniker. However, the man himself is pleased to explain to Boxing Monthly the suitability and derivation of his aquatic nickname. “I got the nickname from my old amateur trainer,” he says. “I was thin, tall and could punch hard. Just like the pike. This fish is very common in Sweden and it is the best hunter in the sweet waters of Sweden. My old trainer gave nicknames to everyone, and I guess mine stuck.”

Khan: A gamble worth taking

Terry Dooley
05/05/2016 9:18am

When Boxing Monthly last caught up with Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) the former WBA and IBF light-welterweight titlist was chasing big money showdowns in America against the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather opted for Andre Berto; Pacquiao is likely to bow out after beating Tim Bradley in April, which left Khan seemingly twisting in the wind while some British fans poured cold-water scepticism over his claim that a mega-fight was within reach. Many assumed that his only other viable option was a domestic showdown with IBF welterweight title-holder Kell Brook. There were rumours that it was close at one point. However, Khan’s handlers were also locked in secret negotiations with Saul Alvarez, the lineal and WBC middleweight champion. The discussions bore fruit. Brook was left disappointed when Khan announced that he would meet ‘Canelo’ in Las Vegas on 7 May - Cinco de Mayo weekend - in a move that few saw coming. Surprises are rare in the age of social media so it was refreshing to see Alvarez-Khan come flying out of leftfield. As Khan explained, his team has learned some harsh lessons in recent years, most notably when and when not to go public about a fight. “I left it down to my team and [advisor] Al Haymon to do the deal,” explained Khan. “We kept it quiet, we never let anyone know what we were doing or risked it getting out in anyway. We learned that when stuff gets leaked out it can prevent fights from happening."