By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of January 20th to January 27th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland Set for May 2nd
Canelo Alvarez has found an opponent for May 2nd after his negotiations with middleweight champion Miguel Cotto had stalled. He will now face James Kirkland on May 2nd either at San Antonio’s Alamodome or Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center on HBO.
The signing of this bout means Floyd Mayweather might not be fighting on May 2nd, or if he does to fight that weekend, his pay-per-view bout will be going against a free fight on HBO.
Manny Pacquiao Becomes a Pro Wrestler with Gary Shandling
Manny Pacquiao recently performed in a skit on the comedy website www.funnyordie.com. He explores the world of professional wrestling and seeks a new persona with the help of comedian Garry Shandling.
This clip can be viewed here.
Sampson Boxing and the WBC Announce “The Jose Sulaiman Cup”
Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and the WBC have announced “The Jose Sulaiman Cup: WBC Super Welterweight Tournament”. This will be an eight man tournament featuring fighters from all over the glove.
One bracket will feature John Jackson (19-2), Dennis Laurente (49-5), Yudel Johnson (16-1), and Jorge Cota (24-1). The other bracket will feature Sergey Rabchenko (25-1), Luciano Cuello (35-3), Domonique Dolton (15-0), and Lukasz Maciec (22-2-1).
Dates and venues will be announced shortly.
Oscar De La Hoya Announces New Combat Sports, Travel and Lifestyle Network
Oscar De La Hoya will launch a new Spanish language sports, travel and lifestyle cable television channel called De La Hoya TV. This was announced at the National Association of Television Program Executives annual conference in Miami.
“De La Hoya TV will be the premiere authority on boxing and other combat sports, providing fans with a behind-the-scenes look into the world and lifestyles of their favorite athletes,” said De La Hoya, chairman of De La Hoya TV.
“The network aims to inspire all to live the life of a champion, delivering exceptional insight into the athletes and featuring entertainment, global destinations, news and more.”
Production on original programming is scheduled to start this year.
David Price Faces Costa Junior on February 21st in Berlin
Heavyweight David Price (18-2) will face Irineu Beato Costa Junior (16-2) on February 21st at the O2 World in Berlin, Germany. They will be on the undercard of the WBO World Super Middleweight rematch between Arthur Abraham (41-4) and Paul Smith (35-4).
Price stated, “Costa Junior is exactly the type of opponent I wanted. He’s got a decent record, similar to my own, with sixteen wins and only two defeats. Last year, he went twelve rounds with Christian Hammer, so we know he’s no mug. It will be another step up, but I think he will bring out the best in me. I’m confident I will get the win.”
Mario Barrios Looks to Have a Breakout 2015
Mario Barrios (7-0) is a very tall featherweight at 6’1 and has the height and reach advantage against most of his opponents. Barrios also have adviser Al Haymon backing him. He offered the following quote recently.
“My team and I are very excited about this upcoming year,” said Mario Barrios.
“Haymon Boxing is taking the sport to a whole new level and I want to position myself as one of the best prospects. I know with a few more fights under my belt I’ll be able to move up to 10-round bouts and hopefully fight for a regional title. The goal is to stay busy and focused on my future. I’m very grateful to have Al Haymon guiding my career. He’s the best in boxing. I’m looking forward to my next fight which will be announced very soon.”
Stephen “Scooter” Fulton to take on Eric Gotay
The 2300 Arena in Philadelphia will feature a super bantamweight bout between Stephen Fulton (3-0) and Eroc Gotay in a four round bout on a show promoted by King’s Promotions.
Fulton stated, “Everything has been great. I been working on strength and conditioning. I have been getting great pad work and my trainers have been pushing me real hard. We are looking to fight 6 rounds but I am preparing for more,” said the 20 year old Fulton.
Raymond Serrano Defeats Jerome Rodriguez
Raymond “Tito” Serrano improved his record to 20-2 with a six round decision over Jerome Rodriguez on Tuesday night at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. The score cards read 59-55 on all three scorecards.
“It was a fight that I worked on things in training,” said Serrano. “I knew Rodriguez was a slick boxer but he was a little more aggressive then I expected so I adjusted and fought smart. After the third round he seemed to fade a little bit and I started to land my shots.”
Serrano hopes to appear on a Star Boxing Card on February 27th.