While unified light heavyweight titleholder Andre Ward and former titlist Sergey Kovalev, two of boxing's pound-for-pound best, are set to renew hostilities in a rematch Saturday night, viewers may very well get a look at the future of the division on the undercard.
Sydney "Ginger the Ninja" LeBlanc is stepping in on three days' notice to face two-time Olympich champion Claressa "T-Rex" Shields of Flint, Michigan in the eight-round main event in Detroit's Masonic Temple in Detroit this Friday. The 33-year-old LeBlanc (4-1-1) is from Louisiana, and replaces the original opponent, Mery Rancier, who was unable to participate due to visa issues. A six-year pro who was already in training for a fight on June 10th, LeBlanc says she's eager for the chance to upset the budding women's superstar.
The Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor megafight, which many think could approach the $600 million-plus revenue record set by Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao in 2015, actually was not that difficult to make once the talks turned serious.
The WBO Intercontinental belt will be on the line on July 1 when former heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin returns against Ukrainian Andrey Rudenko at the “Russia” (Luzhniki) Concert Hall in Moscow. The 33-year-old Rudenko is rated WBO #9, WBC #13 and IBF #13. Povetkin is currently under indefinite suspension by the WBC for failing a doping test.
UFC president Dana White thinks the August 26 clash between Floyd Mayweather and MMA fighter Conor McGregor will smash all PPV records. “I think this breaks the record in US, the UK, Australia and Canada, too,” White told FOX Sports. “Floyd vs. Pacquiao did four million and rising because with a pay-per-view, the buys keep rolling in for years.”
“I only trained Andre to knock out an opponent twice, when he fought Chad Dawson and now is a second time,” says Virgil Hunter, trainer of Andre Ward, when discussing what he expects to happen on Saturday at Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas.
WBA/IBF/WBO light heavyweight world champion Andre Ward’s latest comments on Saturday’s grudge PPV rematch with Sergey Kovalev. “I always want to put on a great show for the fans,” said Ward. “I value and appreciate boxing fans, that’s first and foremost. Last fight, we definitely put on a show. That said, I can’t go into a fight thinking about its entertainment value. I just need to do me, execute the game plan and get my hand raised at the end of the fight.
WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has never boxed anyone similar in style to WBO #2 Jeff Horn according to the Horn’s trainer Glen Rushton, who says the element of surprise could be Horn’s biggest weapon on July 2 at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia with a predicted 55,000+ attendance. Rushton talked Grantlee Kieza of the Courier Mail.
Tyron Zeuge (20-0-1, 11 KOs) says Paul Smith (38-6, 22 KOs) will not take his title when they meet for the WBA World Super Middleweight Championship on Saturday, June 17 at the Rittal Arena in Wetzlar, Germany, live on Sky Sports. Zeuge captured the WBA strap with an impressive knockout victory over Giovanni De Carolis on November 5, 2016 at the MBS Arena in Potsdam. Having fought to a stalemate four months earlier, Zeuge claimed the title in style, stopping the Italian champion with just 19 seconds remaining in the final round.
Featherweight contender Daniel “Twitch” Franco suffered severe head injuries in his knockout loss to Jose Haro on Saturday night, June 10 at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa in a bout telecast on CBS Sports Network.
