Adonis Stevenson Very Confident He'll KO Badou Jack: Don't Blink!

Boxing Scene - By Ryan Burton 

BoxingScene.com and ATG Radio teamed up earlier this week to speak to WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson (29-1) who takes on former two-division champion Badou Jack (22-1-2) on May 19th likely at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

The fight will be televised in the United States by Showtime.

Jack and Stevenson recently traded words on social media but Adonis took the insults in stride. He said it is one thing to fight with words and an entirely different animal when you fight in the ring.

"You know all of the fighters talk trash," Stevenson said with a laugh.

"As soon as he gets in the ring with me it is different. I said to Badou Jack that I am going to knock him out. You know me, I am from the Kronk Gym and at the Kronk Gym we train for the knockout. I am looking for the knockout. This is what I always do. I am not going to change nothing and I am looking for the knockout. It is very good that he is looking looking for the knockout too. It is exciting but the difference is I am an artist. I am a knockout artist and that is a big difference," Stevenson explained.

The 40-year-old Quebec resident said that he doesn't spend much time studying his opponents and let's his trainer handle that. His trainer is Emanuel Steward's nephew Javan "Sugar" Hill who is very familiar with Jack having been in the opposite corner of Jack when he faced Flint, Michigan native Anthony Dirrell in 2015.

"Sugar Hill knows Badou Jack very well. I don't need to worry about that. Sugar Hill will take care of it. Badou Jack fought Anthony Dirrell. He knows him very well. I will do the same training that I always do. I am not going to change nothing. He is going to change but I won't change nothing because I will be going for the knockout. I love knockouts. They are exciting and Emanuel Steward always told me that knockouts sell and that is what I am going to do. Don't blink. It is very important that you don't blink," Stevenson stated.

Stevenson-Jack will be part of a Showtime split site doubleheader.  Keith Thurman will headline the other co-feature bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn against an opponent to be determined.

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GEORGE GROVES: JAMES DEGALE'S VALUE HAS DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY

Via Boxing Scene - By Boxing Clever

Back in 2011, George Groves shocked the odds when he handed James DeGale the first defeat of his pro career.

At that time, DeGale was being groomed as a rising star who captured Olympic gold.

After a years went by, DeGale captured the IBF middleweight crown and put in several performances that rose his status above Groves, who suffered a few defeats over the years.

Their positions have switched enormously over the last twelve months.

Groves is the WBA middleweight champion, is heading to the final bout of the World Boxing Super Super tournament at 168, and put together a solid run of wins over fighters like Fedor Chudinov, Jamie Cox, Chris Eubank, Martin Murray and others.

DeGale on the other hand has not won a bout since April 2016, which saw him win a much tougher than anticipated decision over Rogelio Medina.

He then fought to a twelve round draw with Badou Jack in January 2017, and some felt he was lucky to escape with the draw verdict. During the fight he suffered numerous injuries.

And then in December of last year, DeGale lost his IBF title in a massive upset when he lost a twelve round majority decision to Caleb Truax - who some bookies listed as a 100-1 underdog.

Groves is still willing to face DeGale in the future, but admits his career rival's value has plummeted after the December loss to Truax.

"DeGale will always be a good opponent, but as it stands right now, obviously after his last performance his value has diminished significantly," Groves exclusively told Sky Sports.

"Even if he regains the IBF title, and does it behind closed doors in the States somewhere against a guy he should have beaten anyway in the first place, it's going to make negotiations difficult. But that fight, I'm sure he will be craving it. It will always be a good fight for me, so we will have to wait and see."

Mikey Garcia's Coach Feels Errol Spence Fight is The Wrong Move

By Radio Rahim - Via Boxing Scene

During a recent interview with BoxingScene.com, three division world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) revealed that the welterweight division is certainly in his immediate future.

Before he can even think about moving up in weight, Garcia must overcome his upcoming challenge.

On March 10th, Garcia will attempt to capture his fourth divisional title in a showdown with undefeated junior welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets.

Garcia made a shocking comment, regarding his willingness to move up to 147-pounds and take on the boxer who most experts have pegged as potentially being the best fighter in the division, IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence (23-0, 20 KOs).

"It's a bigger challenge, a bigger weight class. People may not take me serious, but I'm coming to welterweight later. That's going to happen. Whether it's at the end of this year or next year - I'm coming," Garcia told BoxingScene.com.

"I have to get done with these fights first at lightweight and super lightweight. But I'll be at welterweight soon, and if the opponent is offered and presented - I might be there even sooner. I would love the opportunity to fight Thurman or Spence.  If you are going to challenge for a championship, you may as well do it against the best fighter.

"I don't want to take easy fights. I want something that's excites me, that motivates me. A title and a big name motivates me. And if its Spence or Thurman, those are the biggest names at welterweight."

But his head trainer, who also happens to be his older brother, Robert Garcia, is not exactly on board with that kind of fight.

He views Spence as a very, very difficult opponent - and believes that it would be a huge mistake if his younger brother rushed up to the welterweight division and fought Spence in his first bout at 147. 

"I think Mikey will eventually move up in weight. And like a lot of other fighters who move up in weight, sometimes it's not really because they are too big for their weight division and they have to move up - its because of the business and their skills are good enough to compete at a higher division," Robert Garcia explained to BoxingScene.com.

"We have fighters who have won titles in five or six divisions and it was because of their skills.... Oscar De La Hoya did it, Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto. It's not because they were that big - its because of their skills. And I think that Mikey will eventually be able to do that, but I think right now I think it would be a mistake to go right out there and challenge Errol Spence. Spence I think is the best fighter in the division. He's very strong, very talented. I think we have to take it easy on that fight.

"Mikey might be able to beat a few welterweights - but if we pick the right welterweights Mikey might be able to compete in that division. It would have to be the right welterweight and not Errol Spence. But if at the end of the year Mikey decides to make that move [to fight Spence] - then we are going to support him and train him to do everything that he could do to beat him, but I personally would not push for that fight."

Rigondeaux's Coach: Rigo Should Not Suffer Over One Bad Night

By Elisinio Castillo - Via Boxing Scene

Veteran trainer Pedro Diaz has stated that although he accepts some criticisms and comments, the prestigious coach affirms that there is still a lot left for former world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Last December at New York's Madison Square Garden Theater, Rigondeaux suffered his first career at the hands of fellow two-time Olympic gold medal winner Vasyl Lomachenko.

Rigondeaux (17-1, 11 KOs) was dominated in the fight and then claimed that his hand was too injured to continued fighting after six rounds. Several tests were done and it was determined that Rigondeaux's injury was nothing more than a bruised hand - which raised the criticism level even higher.

Diaz believes his fighters is getting too much heat from the public over the loss - which saw him rise by two full weight divisions to challenge Lomachenko at super featherweight.

After the loss, the WBA stripped Rigondeaux of their super bantamweight championship.

"We do everything in favor of boxing. Anyone can have a bad day. Anyone can suffer an injury. A boxer with the type of history that he's had, they should respect his career," Diaz told George Ebro.

"I have no problem of any kind with Rigo, with his family, or with Rigo's team. He comes [to the gym], he is training, he is once again inserting himself into the work regime and we expect good things from him.

"[I'm going to leave his return] to his manager and his promoters, I can only emphasize that Rigo... for us, for Mundo Boxing and for Pedro Díaz, he is always going to be a great champion. The important thing is his history.

"He's like a home run hitter, and sometimes he hits and sometimes he strikes out in the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded, and that's not why you're not going to downplay him. Sometimes a basketball star misses a shot at the basket at the last minute and you should not downplay him over that. Criticism is a part of the business. It was not a great night for Rigo, but he's going to come back, and for us he's always going to be a champion."

David Benavidez: I Hope To Fight Gilberto Ramirez, George Groves

By Miguel Rivera - Via Boxing Scene

Proud of his Aztec" roots, WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez (20-0, 17 KOs) wants to be the best in his division and face the biggest names, but the fight that most attracts him is a unification against countryman Gilberto "Zurdo "Ramirez, who holds the WBO world title.

"That fight I want the most. In a year it can be done. I think in a year that fight is going to happen," Benavidez told Fox Deportes.

Visiting Mexico City, three days after making the first defense of his world title against Romanian Ronald Gavril, the boxer made it clear that making two more fights this year is his goal, in addition to clashing with the other champions.

The son of Jose Benavidez, who was born in Arcelia, Guerrero, and brother of the former interim-junior super lightweight champion of the WBA, Jose Benvaidez Jr., the blooming super middleweight indicates that being a world champion has been his dream since a young child.

"I want to fight twice more this year and see if next year that I can fight for another belt or another champion. We'll see what happens. Ramirez is very good and I want that fight, or a fight against [WBA champion] George Groves," Benavidez said.

"The title means a lot to me, I've worked a lot to get here, since I was a child it was a dream and now that I have it I do not want to let it go."

While recovering from the swelling he suffered in his hands after the fight with Gavril, Benavidez made it clear that he could return on a date in June or July, although he expects to get a more solid confirmation from his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.

Lewkowicz will also try to get his boxer in the ring with Ramirez, who is promoted by Top Rank.

"Benavidez is the WBC champion and that is the only that matters. Until something very important comes up, he will defend this 'green and gold' until the end. If Ramirez is not interested in a unification, [Benavidez] will defend the title," Lewkowicz concluded.

Canelo Will Hit Colorado in March To Prepare For Golovkin

By Miguel Rivera - Via Boxing Scene

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) will switch things up for his upcoming rematch with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs).

The fight is scheduled to take place on May 5th as part of Cinco De Mayo weekend, with the venue still to be determined.

The first contest too place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and saw the two boxers battle to a controversial twelve round split draw - with scores of 118-110 for Canelo, 115-113 for Golovkin and 114-114.

The boxer usually starts his camp in Mexico and then heads over to San Diego in California, but this time around he's traveling over, along with his team led by Chepo and Eddy Reynoso, to begin a high altitude camp on March 3 or 4 in the mountains of Colorado.

They feel the high altitude camp is necessary to be in the very best condition for the rematch.

"We will arrive in Colorado on March 3 or 4. There we intend to take advantage of the high altitude. We already have the sparring ready, now Saul is working with Alexis Salazar, an middleweight we have in the gym and with whom we have have been moving. Once we are over there [in Colorado], the European sparring will arrive," said co-trainer Chepo Reynoso to ESPN Deportes.

The decision to make this training camp change is vital, from the point of view of the team, because they want the highest level of physical preparation.

"I believe that he only needs to arrive in excellent physical condition, he needs to throw more punches, which in my opinion was exactly what was missing in the close rounds, which he could have taken by throwing 5, 6 or 10 more punches... that would have been the difference for the closes rounds give them to him (Canelo) and there would be no room for doubts," said Chepo.

*FULL FIGHT* RANCES BARTHELEMY VS ANTONIO DEMARCO

June 21st, 2015 - PBC on CBS: Rances Barthelemy secured a convincing victory over Antonio DeMarco by unanimous decision. Visit PremierBoxingChampions.com for info. 

By CROWN BOXING

Today we're throwing it back to June 21, 2015 when defending IBF 130 lbs champ Rances Barthelemy took apart the always game former champion Antonio Demarco. This was Barthelemy's first match at 140 lbs as his awkward switch-hitting style proved to be too much for the former champion, flooring DeMarco on the way to a UD win at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

FULL FIGHT courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions. 

CROWN BOXING X LADARIUS MILLER "LEFT HAND PERSPECTIVE" COLLABORATION

Photos courtesy of Sean Michael Ham / CROWN BOXING

By Sean Michael Ham / CROWN BOXING

CROWN BOXING's design team linked up with TMT's young prospect Ladarius Miller to create a "Left Hand Perspective" line for his fight on the Garcia-Rios undercard at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The collab tee featured Ladarius' brand new logo freshly cooked up by Crown Boxing's lead designer Benny Limon.  The back of the shirt featured Miller's signature tagline "Left Hand Perspective" in red as the entire design was treated with our exclusive grunge inspired look across the shirt's graphic.