Lennox Lewis Comeback - Is it worth it?

By Jack Price @PriceyJ97

Surely just a joke?

Twitter has blown up this morning with the news that British heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis could potentially make a comeback to fight current heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA, WBO & IBO world titles.

David Price - What next?

By John Hoolan @JohnHoolan

David Price - Some decisions to make...

Having seen his attempt at trying to avenge a defeat to Tony Thompson turn to dust it must seem like a very lonely world to David Price at the moment. Even 3 weeks after he was stopped in the 5th, the future will very likely seem uncertain and he'll view it with a lot of trepidation.

Charr deserves the fight!

By Jack price @PriceyJ97. 

The rivalry begins. - Charr confronts Haye at Chisora post-fight press conference.

Who were the fans expecting David 'The Hayemaker' Haye to face in his comeback fight on June 29th? Wladimir? Vitali? Tyson Fury? As much as we want these fights to happen, it was always a certainty that none of them were going to take place in June when Haye returns to the ring for the first time in almost a year. It was always going to be a relatively unproven contender that is ranked highly but not that much of a test for the Londoner. And that is what we have got on the 29th; David Haye Vs Manuel Charr.

Manfredo Jr still has "Unfinished Business!"

By Jack Price @PriceyJ97.

Things looked bright for 'The Pride Of Providence' Peter Manfredo Jr when he came out of the 2005 Contender Series a more popular fighter than ever and with a bigger fan base than he may have ever expected. And for three or four years he did live the life of a "mainstream" boxer but now he faces what he believes is the "inevitable" outcome for any professional boxer.

Manfredo returns this weekend at the Twin River Event Center when he takes on Walter Wright (14-3, 7 KO's) in a 10-round contest. His comeback began back in November of last year with a unanimous decision victory Rayco Saunders, and the 32-year old believes this next fight can get him back to where he wants to be. A win is a must for Manfredo at this stage of his career, and he is certain he can get that. But this time his lifestyle are preparations are a bit different to his fights back in the day with the likes of Joe Calzaghe and Jeff Lacy.

A normal day now for Manfredo begins at 4 with the 32-year old going off to his day-job in Boston. He then  travels 50 or so miles back to Rhode Island for a few hours of training with each session becoming longer and tougher as fight night grows near. After a long and tiring day he then heads home to Connecticut with his wife and kids before doing it all again the next day. Balancing life as a laborer and professional boxer is a tough ask for any man but Manfredo believes it is worth it if it means he doesn't have to go through the plagued aftermath that many retired boxers do.

Shane Mosley talks about Paulie Malignaggi & Lucas Matthysse

www.esnewsreporting.com

Ring veteran 'Sugar' Shane Mosley talks about sparring Lucas Matthysse and his potential return bout against Paulie Malignaggi. The 40-year old believes that he does still have what it takes to compete at world level. 

Quigg Vs Munroe - Do not forget about this fight!

Scott Quigg Vs Rendall Munroe II takes place on the undercard of the Ricky Hatton comeback fight this Saturday. Now I won't actually be surprised if you're reading this and you didn't even know this fight is happening, and that's not your fault. Literally nobody is talking about this fight. I remember the first time it was announced, it was one of the most highly-anticipated British fights of the year, but now this doesn't seem to be the case.  

Unfortunately the first time around the fight only lasted 3 rounds due to a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads. But it's been rescheduled and its happening again. Now there's an obvious reason why its not receiving as much attention this time around, and that's because its just chief support for a very, very big event for British boxing (the return of Ricky Hatton). But that's no reason to just ignore what, in my opinion, will be the fight of the night on November 24th. 

Now obviously everyone is naturally going to be more excited about the Hatton-Senchenko fight, as I am too. But don't turn up late to the arena or tune in late to Primetime. If you've only planned to watch the main event then change your plans! 

This a real 50/50 fight and not many people can pick a clear winner. I went with Munroe the first time and although Quigg was starting to take control of the fight in the 3rd, I'm gonna have to stick with "2 Tone" again. I just think his experience will give him the edge over a young, up and coming, talented Scott Quigg. I also think he has that little extra bit inside him that will enable him to dig deep if it does get tough in the late rounds.  

Quigg is very, very fit. It has actually been scientifically proven that he's got a better fitness level than most marathon runners. But Munroe can take him to a place he has never been before and it will be interesting to see how Quigg handles this. Fitness is a huge factor in this sport but I believe heart is even more important. Let's see if he's got it. 

There's no doubt that this is the toughest test of Quigg's career so far. Like most prospects, we know he's got talent but is he up there with the elite level fighters? Is he something special? Munroe has shared the ring with world class fighters such as Toshiaki Nishioka, who has been a serious pound-for-pound contender for a very long time. However, he hasn't faced anyone as tough and as fresh as Quigg recently so it will also be interesting to see how he handles this fight.

You still really have to class these two as the two best super-bantamweights in Britain. Carl Frampton has shown a lot of potential. The potential to be better than most at this weight division in the world today, but these two have done just a little more at the moment and probably just deserve to be ranked a little bit higher. In an ideal world the winner of this fight would face Frampton next but that's highly unlikely.. But, its boxing, we're boxing fans, and we can hope!

Super-bantamweight, like many other divisions in Britain, is starting to really heat up and that can only mean one thing; more excitement in the sport of boxing!

By Jack Price @PriceyJ97 - Check out my blog!

Ricky Hatton claims no more weight gain between fights...

Out-of-shape.                                              In-shape.

As you all know by now, Ricky Hatton will return to the ring on November 24th, against an opponent that is yet to be named, for the first time since his devastating 2nd round loss to Manny Pacquiao back in 2009. Hatton is now almost 34 years of age and obviously can't do the things that he used to do when he was fighting at the age of 25.

It's no secret that Hatton was not fully committed to the sport even in his "glory days." The Mancunian used to party hard after every fight and always gained about three or four stone in between bouts. He was even nicknamed Ricky "Fatton" for his behaviour outside of the ring, but he claims this will not be the case when returns in November.

"I am going to change my spots but you can't completely change me," said Hatton. "I'm a Jack The Lad and all that but I cringe at the weight I had to lose all those years ago. If I'm going to make a comeback, the three stone I used to shed when I was 25 years of age, I can't shed that as I'm 34 next month."

"Things have got to change. I can't turn round to my fighters and say; 'Listen, keep coming in the gym and do not balloon in weight' if I'm going to go out and do it."

It still waits to be seen whether or not Hatton can fully dedicate his whole entire life to the sport of boxing. I'm sure he will be in tip-top condition for his comeback fight in November. But can he keep it up for the next few years?

 

By Jack Price @PriceyJ97

Hatton and father involved in bust-up!

Ricky and Ray.

Former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton's father, Ray Hatton, has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his son on Thursday, the day before 'The Hitman' announced his return to the ring.

Ray Hatton, 61, was given a police caution after it was confirmed that he assaulted Ricky outside of the families' health and fitness gym in Hyde, Greater Manchester. According to reports in the Independent newspaper, the pair traded punches following a heated argument.

A policeman spokesman gave a little info on the situation: "Shortly before 11:45 BST on Thursday, police received reports that there had been a fight involving two men outside a health and fitness club on Market Street."

"A 33-year old man was assaulted by a 61-year old man, who was arrested on suspicion of common assault and subsequently given a police caution."

On Friday, the day after the incident, Hatton revealed that he would be making comeback into the sport of the boxing and will fight at the Manchester Arena on November 24th.

 

By Jack Price @PriceyJ97.

Hatton comeback rumours continue to escalate!

The rumours that former two-weight world champion and British fan-favourite Ricky Hatton will return to the ring later this year are forever growing stronger. Numerous sources claim that the 33-year old Mancunian will announce a two-fight comeback in the very near future.

Hatton last fought in 2009 when he was knocked out in just two rounds by Manny Pacquiao and at that time he insisted that he was retired for good. However, he has been back in the gym and training a lot recently. Those close to Hatton claim that he is the best shape he has been in for a very long time.

At first the most likely fight for Hatton was against Paulie Malignaggi in November but his old rival is already scheduled to fight on October 20th against Pablo Cesar Cano. This would mean that Malignaggi would have only a month to prepare for one of the biggest fights of his career. So I think its almost certain that this fight will not happen in November.

However, I do think that if Hatton does make a comeback, he will definitely fight Malignaggi. Whether its his first or second fight, he will end up fighting him. Both men want the fight and it would be an easy bout to sell and make. The most likely outcome is that Hatton will face Malignaggi at the start of 2013 and if he is victorious he will move onto an even bigger challenge. You never know... Maybe even Manny Pacquiao?

Khan believes him against Hatton would be bigger than Haye-Chisora!

Khan (left) with Hatton (right) during the build-up to his fight with Paul McCloskey.

Former light-welterweight world champ Amir Khan has his sights set on a rematch with Danny Garcia, who scored a surprise knock-out victory over him last Saturday (July 14th), but he has not ruled the chances of a fight with Ricky Hatton in the future. The 25-year old actually claims that it would be bigger than the heavyweight grudge match between David Haye and Dereck Chisora.

There have been many rumours circulating that Hatton is planning a surprise return to the ring for the first time since 2009. These rumours have not been confirmed, but a lot of evidence such as the Mancunian spending a lot of time in the gym and losing a lot of weight, have made the rumours seem a lot more likely. At first, Paulie Malignaggi was the only fighter who was mentioned for a fight with Hatton but now Khan has been brought into the picture.

"I don't think Ricky will want to fight us," said Khan. "I try to avoid the Ricky fight but you never know. It'd be a huge British fight and I don't think we've had a British fight like that. It would be bigger than the Dereck and David fight but who knows? For the moment I'm more focused on the Garcia fight because what burns me is that you know you made a mistake and you know what mistake you make."

Ricky Hatton to return to the ring?

Hatton in his fight with Paulie Malignaggi.

There have been tons of rumours circulating that retired British fan favourite Ricky Hatton is looking to make a return to the ring for the first time since 2009. The rumour has not yet been confirmed by Hatton or any of his team but there are a lot of UK media outlets that are stating that this rumour is true.

Hatton, 33-years old, last fought in May of 2009, where he suffered a devastating knock out loss to Manny Pacquiao.

It's fair to say that at this moment in time, Hatton is not in shape. However, according to inside reports, the former two-time world champion has been training a lot lately and has also been shedding a lot of weight. It's  hard to believe that this story is true as there have never been any signs that the Manchester-born man was even considering returning to the ring. At the moment, I'm not actually sure whether I would want to see Mr.Hatton back in the ring. I've enjoyed watching him fight so many times and he does usually bring a lot of excitement for the fans. However, I do not want him to become another one of the ring legends that tarnish their career because they just don't know when to hang up the gloves. I know he's only 33, but he's been inactive for over three years and I just don't think that he will ever be able to make it back to the top. I hope I'm wrong.

What's even more surprising is that the rumours that are circulating also state that Hatton is targeting WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi. Hatton defeated Malignaggi by an 11th round stoppage prior to his loss to Manny Pacquiao.

Always chatty and willing to talk Malignaggi gave his thoughts on the rumours:

"I'm hearing that Ricky Hatton is interested in a comeback," said the New Yorker. "I'm hearing rumours that I'm the target of that comeback. I've had two rematches in my career and I'm 2-0 in those rematches. In our fight, he did very well. I'd like to think that there are a lot of things that I could have done [better] and I'd like to think that I have made a lot of changes on my team that have really, really brought out the best in me."

"It's a loss that I've had to live with. It's a loss that hindered me and every day I think about the loss and it bothers me. It's unfortunate because I should have done much better, but it was what it was. The rematch is something that interests me. I have nothing but respect for Ricky, his fans and his family. They were nothing but respectful to me during the entire promotion and I expect nothing less in the rematch. I know that he wants to come back and win a title to reclaim old glory but it's my time now and I know that I can beat Ricky Hatton."

Ricky Hatton has not yet made a comment regarding the rumours of a ring return.

Haye gives up on the Klitschko's...

Haye in his fight with Wladimir Klitschko.

British heavyweight David Haye has admitted that he has almost given up on the Klitschko's as he feels like they will never give him a fight. This means that his bout with Dereck Chisora on July 14th could be the last fight we will ever see the 'Hayemaker' in.

His main target was the older brother, Vitali, but the 40-year old Ukranian will be retiring very soon. He is having his last fight against Syrian Manuel Charr on September 8th. After this he is leaving the sport to continue with his career in politics.

Haye has also stated many times that he would be more than willing to have a rematch with the younger brother Wladimir. In their first fight, Haye was widely outpointed and looked helpless against the Ukranian giant. However, Wladimir feels that the Brit has nothing else to offer him as he has already added his WBA and IBF world titles to his collection.

"The Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente said to fight Chisora and the winner fights Vitali," said Haye. "Now it seems like he is fighting someone I've never heard of called Jimmy Carr, or something... There's a reason for him choosing this opponent because they know Vitali will knock him out, look good and get a nice win before going into politics."

"Wladimir has said he doesn't want to fight me again, which is fair enough, so I don't think a rematch is realistic. That fight would have only happened if I would have fought Vitali and won.

Haye also revealed that, although he is not looking past his fight with Chisora, if a fight with either of the Klitschko's doesn't happen in the next year or so, it will be just a one-fight comeback.

"I've not thought beyond this fight but if there's no Klitschko fight, it's going to be back for one fight only," explained Haye. "My last fight was a loss and if I had stayed retired it's not ideal to go out on a loss. But I can put that right against Chisora."

Antonio Margarito returns to the ring on May 26th...

Damage caused to Margarito's eye during fight with Cotto.

Three-time world champion Antonio Margarito is set to fight at the Casino Del Sol, Arizona on May 26th. 

The 34-year old Mexican was rumoured to be considering retirement after losing badly to Miguel Cotto in a grudge rematch last December and also struggling with persistent eye problems but he will now fight again for the 48th fight of his career.

The bout will take place between 154lb and 160lb according Dan Rafael from ESPN who spoke to Top Rank's Carl Moretti on Monday.

An opponent for the has not yet been confirmed but will most likely be announced soon.

This is what Moretti had to say about the situation: "Everything is fine... He went back to his doctor and got everything checked out after the Cotto fight."

"In the fight, the eye was only cut and swollen. No other damage. After the fight New York put him on the medical suspension list but then took him off of it because he got cleared medically in January."

Margarito will likely be given a lower-ranked opponent for his next fight as his confidence needs building after he has lost three of his last four fights.

Who do you want to see him face?.. Let us know on Twitter (@BoxingOpinions1) or comment below.