Author: Boxing Press

Former heavyweight boxer Jimmy Young, who beat George Foreman and fought Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton in the 1970s, has died. He was 56. Young died Sunday at Hahnemann University Hospital, a spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that he died of heart disease after a six-day hospitalization. The 6-1, 210-pound Young compiled a 35-18-3 record with 12 knockouts during a career that spanned from 1969-90. Young lost a championship bout to Ali on April 30, 1976, although some boxing experts disputed the decision. He beat Foreman nearly a year later in a 12-round decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 17, 1977. But perhaps his toughest loss was a split decision to Norton on Nov. 5, 1977, in a WBC elimination bout in Las Vegas.

David Barnes has withdrawn from his British Welterweight title defence against Bradley Pryce on March 4 at the Kingsway Leisure Centre in Widnes due to a bout of influenza. An explosive fight was anticipated as Barnes and Pryce engaged in a heated war of words that has now been put on hold. Even now, the fiery Welshman has accused Barnes of faking it so that he can hold on to his prized Lonsdale belt. Pryce stormed, “Barnes is faking it so he can hold on to his belts for a bit longer. This will give him extra time to prepare but he’s only kidding himself because I will take it from him when I knock him out,” He added, “Whilst he is recovering, I am still in the gym and preparing as if the fight is still on. This delay is only increasing my motivation, conditioning and strength everyday and by the time the new date is confirmed I will be super-fit.” (more…)

It’s fight week in the Big Apple. Seven New York City products and a standout Olympian from Winter Haven, Forida, will be in action on 2005’s third installment of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing Presented by Mohegan Sun slated for this Thursday night, February 24 at the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center on 34th Street and Eighth Avenue in the Big Apple. Brooklyn junior middleweight Yuri Foreman (16-0, 7 KO’s) headlines against Mexico’s Jesus Soto (11-2-1, 10 KO’s) in the main event. Foreman, from Haifa, Israel, now fighting out of Brooklyn, has marched through the junior middleweight ranks to an unblemished record of 16-0, with 7 triumphs coming by way of knockout. The main event is an eight round junior middleweight test. (more…)

Next Saturday former WBO light heavyweight world champion Dariusz Michalczewski returns to the ring on a big event promoted by Universum Box-Promotion: A championship triple header at the huge Color Line Arena of Hamburg. “This event has been a major subject for many months. We present three world title fights on the same evening and a sensational undercard. This will be the best boxing event we ever promoted”, promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl said on the event that is already sold out for several months and will attract over 17.000 spectators to Hamburg’s biggest indoor arena. “It’s not the first time we make big fights. But this time we have three world title contests with top quality opposition. It’s an absolutely special feature for all boxing fans.” (more…)

Pound for pound king Hopkins told Eastman’s promoter Mick Hennessy that his man deserved a second showdown following his outstanding effort. For the Londoner, it can’t come soon enough. “I would like to thank Bernard Hopkins for this opportunity,” Eastman said. “I hope he will give me another one. He doesn’t have to move up light heavyweight just yet (to fight Glencoffe Johnson). There is plenty of business left at middleweight. And we don’t need to be bringing in any other guys either. Jermain Taylor for instance isn’t the calibre of fighter Bernard Hopkins is. No disrespect, I would love to fight him as well, but I want Bernard Hopkins. Lets do it one more time; then I will even the score. Then we can do it a third time. After that we can look at the other guys.” (more…)

Bernard Hopkins got the number he wanted in making his 20th title defense. Now he’s looking ahead, to making money and history as a middleweight champion approaching middle age. Hopkins had barely finished beating Howard Eastman on Saturday night when he laid out his immediate future. There wasn’t much sense looking too far ahead, though, because at the age of 40 time is beginning to run out.

“It’s about history, along with the money,” Hopkins said. “I’m not interested in making mandatory defenses against fighters you’ve never heard of anymore.”

Hopkins joined former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes as a fighter with 20 defenses. Joe Louis had 24 straight during his career, but only a handful of fighters have ever gotten to the plateau. (more…)