Are we witnessing the demise of Frank Warren Promotions?

George Groves and Ricky Burns have now added their names to the growing list of boxers who have left Frank Warren Promotions over the years.

Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe and Kell Brook are just a few of the names who grew tired of Frank Warren Promotions and moved on to other promoters or to start their own promotional companies.

So why should these latest defectees concern Frank?

Well George Groves immediately signed with rival promotional company Matchroom Boxing, the number of postponements for his “bigger name” fighters, the criticism from the Burns, Bellew and Mitchell camps in recent months, the rumours that he isn’t paying his fighters on time and not to mention his TV channel, BoxNation, doesn’t seem to be the success he was hoping for.

Frank Warren should also be concerned of the growing popularity of Eddie Hearns Matchroom Boxing”. The two have had a bit of back and forth in the press recently and it’s the quote below from Frank Warren that I find most interesting.

“That’s why my fighters get home advantage when they fight, very rarely will I take them on the road unless I really fancy the job or they’re getting fantastically paid.

“What have they (Matchroom) done in the last year – taken four guys abroad and got them all beat,” he added. “What a great track record. There’s a good way to build your business.”

The quote above tells me that Mr Warren is completely out of touch with the average boxing fan. I think the majority of boxing fans applauded the fact that Eddie Hearn took his fighters abroad and took on the tough challenges, giving us fans the sort of fights we want to see.

In Darren Barker and Gavin Rees they went out to America, fought on HBO and took on Martinez and Broner, the best guys in their respective division. But in Frank Warrens eyes, that’s hurting the business. Forget giving the boxing fans what they want.

In my opinion, Barker and Rees earned more respect for taking those fights than someone like Nathan Cleverly has earned in his whole career to date. There’s nothing to be gained from padding out a fighters record against bums.

Oddly enough Warren could be accused of doing the same with Derek Chisora when he put him in against the likes of Fury, Vitali, Helenius and Haye. I didn’t hear Warren coming out and talking “business” then.

I just don’t think Warren can cut it any more as a promoter, I don’t think he knows how to build fighters any more. You only have to look at the success Kell Brook has had since moving on from Warren. He’s selling out arenas in Sheffield, he’s fighting on Sky Sports and he’s got a world title shot.

Instead he’s got fighters leaving him left, right and centre, his fighters aren’t anywhere near active enough, fight after fight being cancelled, fighters not being paid on time and a whole host of other issues that I can’t really touch upon as I don’t have any concrete proof but it’s safe to say that things really aren’t going right for Frank Warren.

Fighters seem to do much better elsewhere and if I was a boxer under Frank Warren Promotions, I’d certainly be considering my future.

So are we, the British boxing public, witnessing the demise of Frank Warren Promotions?

Khan – Garcia Preview

It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for Amir Khan over these last 7 months. 

It all started with his controversial defeat to Lamont Peterson back in December 2011, where he lost his IBF light welterweight and WBA Super light welterweight titles. Then there was the ‘man in the hat’ issue which lead to the WBA issuing a rematch. Then there was the issue of Peterson failing a drugs test and the fight being cancelled. Then GoldenBoy announced Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia was to defend his WBC light welterweight title against Khan. Oh and then there was the small matter of Khan being re-instated as WBA Super light-welterweight champion earlier this week.

Quite a jam packed few months for Amir.

And as if that wasn’t enough to contend with, Amir Khan has had to continually put up with the disrespectful comments from the ignorant Angel Garcia, Danny’s father and trainer, throughout the build up to this fight.

But finally, after 7 months of sitting around and kicking his heels, Amir ‘King’ Khan is ready to step back in the ring and reclaim his spot as the 140lb king.

This is expected to be Khan’s last fight at the 140lb weight division before he steps up to  bigger challenges at 147 and I fully expect Khan to go out with a bang.

Garcia is a solid, unremarkable, opponent.

His main attributes are his timing and that he has decent pop but these have not been tested out against the top, prime guys at 140. While Garcia has beaten the likes of Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell and Erik Morales; neither of these guys are in their prime and he was made to look very ordinary at times against ‘El Terrible’ in his last fight.

Khan has the speed and experience advantage over Garcia and I expect, well hope that, he’ll use those to his advantage.

Amir is a very quick starter and I expect him to fly out of the traps and land plenty of flurries on Garcia.

Khan needs to start boxing smart from now on. Anyone who watched his sparring in ‘Behind The Ropes’ will have seen Khan getting tagged all too frequently and wanting to trade instead of being boxing smart. Even new strength and conditioning Coach Ruben Tavares said he doesn’t want Khan taking unnecessary cheap shots.

To his credit, Khan says he doesn’t want to be seen as boring and I think that is very commendable but it’s not smart.

Box to your advantages and you’ll do so much better, not to mention look better in the process.

I expect Khan to use his speed and use his combinations to overwhelm Garcia on the way to a stoppage victory. However Khan cannot leave himself open because it will give Garcia the opening to test Khan’s chin, which we all know isn’t great.

Khan does not need to go out and prove his chin every time he fights. Box smart and just get the job done.

If Khan does this and doesn’t stand and trade, I think he’ll finish Garcia off before the mid-way point. However if he decides to trade, it could be a very long fight and we could see a closer fight that some imagine.

Check below to see the build up to this fight:

The Story of The Fight:

Behind The Ropes: Amir Khan

Behind The Ropes: Danny Garcia

The Wait is Over: Chisora – Haye Preview

The time for talking is over.

Dereck Chisora against David Haye is finally here. 

Everyone knows how the fight has come about and everyone knows about the controversy with the BBBoC. That’s all out the way now.

The build up has gone smoothly. So has the weigh-in. (Maybe that fence can take some credit for that).

Now it’s time to fight, time to finish this rivalry for good.

And to be honest, I’m struggling to pick a winner right now.

Haye has won world titles, been in there with the better Klitschko, is faster and is definitely the better athlete.

Chisora is  has lost his last 3 but is more durable, has the better chin and is a natural heavyweight.

So how does this fight play out? The fact the fight is only scheduled for 10 rounds might have a huge impact.

Chisora is a slow starter and if Haye comes out the blocks quickly, he could catch Del-Boy and that would be all she wrote. Chisora does have a great chin but he hasn’t fought anyone who has that type of explosive power that Haye possess.

Alternatively, Haye could just use his reach and height advantage to box his way to an unanimous decision.

So I do think Haye has the better options going into this fight. I don’t think Chisora can out-box or blast him out of there.

For Chisora to really stand a chance, he has to be bang on from the jump.

He has to use his head movement as he walks Haye down and once he’s in range, jump on him and unload punches to the body, really pressure Haye. But he has to make sure he has good head movement because if he doesn’t, Haye will catch Chisora as he walks in.

If the fight was 12 rounds, I’d probably back Chisora on points because he gets stronger as a fight wears on but seeing as it’s only the 10 rounds, I think it plays into Haye’s hands.

At this point, I’ve change my mind about 100 times and I’ll probably change it 100 more before the first bell rings.

But I’ll stick my neck out here and go for a David Haye win, via points.

Be sure to check below to see all the build-up the fight:

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Weigh-in:

Not so Special, eh Kell?

Kell Brook came through the toughest test of his career to date as he held onto his unbeaten record in Sheffield.

Brook was pushed all the way by Carson Jones as he won the IBF Eliminator via a points decision.

‘Special K’s’ record now stands at 28-0 after two of the judges scored the bout 116-113 and 115-113 in favour of the hometown hero, while the third judge ruled it a draw.

Cheered on by the hometown crowd, Brook raced into an early lead as he constantly out-classed Jones during the first half of the fight; leaving Jones baffled and looking distinctly ordinary.

Brook established his jab early and was boxing superbly; showing a wide array of shots, good footwork and a willingness to tie up and work on the inside.

However Jones continued to come forward and apply the pressure in the final six rounds, and even breaking Kell’s nose in round 8 following a short right from the American.

No matter what Brook did, he could just not stop Jones from coming forward.

Jones, who won his last 8 fights by stoppage, looked like he was on his way to doing that in the 9th as he wobbled Brook who was saved by the bell.Brook seemed to wobble Jones in the 10th but that was a fleeting moment of success.

To his credit, Brook displayed real heart and courage as he refused to buckled under the intense pressure of Jones.

He decided to display his macho side in the 12th as he went toe to toe with Jones, as he silenced any doubts about his chin or heart.

Following the fight, Brook admitted he needs work on things for future fights.

“I think I got the diet right but I need to get the top men involved so I can sustain it through the whole fight. Things need to be addressed.”

There’s no doubt that Brook proved his chin and heart, something that his critics have wondered about him. That’s not the worry.

The worry for Team Brook should be how Brook seemed to gas-out following his start. Now the broken nose could have affected this but even before that he was starting to look a little sluggish. Another slight worry is Brook lack of power and if his stamina issue isn’t corrected, not having that big punching power could really come back to hinder Brook.

Now people tend to over-react to performances like this (see Amir Khan – Bredis Prescott). We may have just found a style that Brook struggles with (similar to Amir). There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s what Brook does next, what he does to adjust that really counts.

Brook and promoter Eddie Hearn made all the right noises following the fight, about taking another fight (Argentinean Hector Saldivia) before going for the IBF title.

It’s something I’d agree with and it will allow Brook to work on certain aspects of his fight game before he has a title shot.

This isn’t a time for massive changes for Kell; it’s about fine-tuning certain aspects of his fight game.

We’ll see just how special, ‘Special K’ really is.

Easy work for Fury

Tyson Fury continued his push towards a world heavyweight title after he stopped Vinny Maddalone in the 5th round.

Fury was never tested as he found his jab from the opening round, snapping Maddalone’s head back repeatedly.

Tyson almost finished the fight in the fourth as he landed big right hands to the body, which left Maddalone shaken up.

There was no rest for Maddalone in the fifth as Fury kept up the pace and after another fierce barrage, the referee thankfully stepped in to end the contest.

Following the figth, Fury called out pretty much everyone in the heavyweight division except David Price.

If Fury isn’t going to fight Price, then I’d like to see him try and get a fight with either Tomasz Adamek or Alexander Povetkin.

I think Fury would beat either of these guys and it would really put his name out there and get wider exposure for himself.

However I won’t be surprised if he takes a couple more contests like this over in America to try and build up his name over there.

Fury challenges for WBO Intercontinental title

Tyson Fury will look to take a step closer to a heavyweight title shot when he faces Vinny Maddalone tonight.

Fury, unbeaten in 18 pro bouts, hopes that winning the WBO Intercontinental title will lead to a future title shot against either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko.

Maddalone has won 35 of his 43 fights and has fought the likes of Holyfield, Adamek and Jean Marc Mormeck.

I don’t expect Maddalone to present too much of a challenge to Fury, who looks in fantastic shape. I fully expect Fury to dominate and knock Maddalone out within 7 rounds.

After this fight don’t be surprised to see Fury go after WBA (Regular) Heavyweight Champ Alexander Povetkin. I think Fury would easily beat Povetkin too.

But if he was to go after one of the Klitschko’s, he would be better served going after Vitali. Vitali isn’t the freshest champion now and he’s already looking towards a career in politics and Fury would be a real test for Vitali.

I’m not sure he’s ready for Wlad just yet and maybe a couple of fights against the likes of Povetkin and Vitali would give him that experience.

But the fight we all would love to see, would be him face off against fellow Brit David Price. It has the potential to be a really exciting domestic clash.

So after Fury defeats Maddalone tonight, I hope he can set up a fight with either Price, Povetkin or Vitali. I think Wlad is just a step too far at the moment but he could be ready after a couple more fights.

Sweet Science Prediction: 

Fury KO inside 7 rounds. This fight shouldn’t make Fury stretch himself too much and should allow him to look good.

Preview: Brook – Jones

Time for Kell Brook to make a statement.

He’s already proved he’s the best in Britain following his one-sided beat-down of Matthew Hatton and now is his chance to prove himself on the international stage when he takes on America’s Carson Jones tonight.

Jones has a record of 34 wins (24 by KO), 8 losses and 2 draws and is ranked above Brook in the IBF rankings and is sure to present his sternest challenge so far.

Fact is both these two now have the toughest fight of their careers when they face off against one another tonight and a title shot against the winner of Randall Bailey – Devon Alexander awaits the winner. It’s time for both of these fighters to show whether they are ready to mix with the title holders.

The build up between the two has been pretty fiery, with the two clashing at the weigh in yesterday. Hopefully that means we’ll see an exciting fight.

Brook is definitely the better boxer and the more rounded fighter and I fully expect him to come through and win this. Brook cannot contemplate a loss here as it will set him back a fair way; especially after all the good work (in the ring and promotional wise) he’s done since hooking up with Eddie Hearn at Matchroom Boxing.

I’m still unsure of how Brook is going to win though. He’s come out and said he’s going to be aiming right for Jones head and looking to take him out but we haven’t really seen how Brook’s power stands up against the better fighters with Hatton and Ndou taking him the distance.

I don’t think Brook will have the power to keep Jones off him and can see Brook taking the decision win.

As I said, it’s time for Brook to make a statement tonight.

See below for the Brook – Jones weigh in:

Froch destroys Bute

Well who saw that one coming?

I for one certainly didn’t but I’m happy as Larry that I was there to see the demolition.

Carl Froch claimed the IBF super-middleweight title after destroying Lucian Bute inside 5 rounds to in his home town of Nottingham in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Froch was the underdog going into the fight, with many feeling the Romanian champ was too slick for the British warrior.

But Froch shocked the boxing world, not by simply defeating the undefeated Bute but by demolishing him in a performance full of power, determination and focus.

Backed by a capacity and raucous crowd, started quite tentatively with neither throwing too much as they felt each other out. Froch landed with one or two more flurries and in my opinion took the first round.

Again there wasn’t much to talk about for most of the second round but in the final minute or so Froch landed some shots on Bute that momentarily worried the champ and had him clinching Froch, who won round 2 in my opinion also.

Things really picked up round 3. Bute actually started quite well, landing a few solid shots on Froch before the Nottingham man turned up the heat. After he was tagged by Bute, Froch pushed forward and “bum-rushed” But landing left and rights which caused the champion to back up onto the ropes and invite Froch onto him.

That was definitely a big mistake on Bute’s part and Froch hammered away with lefts and rights, with each punching drawing a loud response from the Nottingham faithful.

Bute, whose legs seemed to have gone, grabbed onto Froch and then, idiotically, backed himself up into another corner and allowed Froch to tee off again before clinching again. It was a pattern that continued through to the end of the round, with Froch teeing off as Bute lay against the ropes and clinching whenever he got the chance. Even though there was no knock down, there’s no doubt in my mind that it was a 10-8 round to Froch.

Bute deserves a bit of credit for sticking in there but as walked back to his corner after round 3, any confidence he had going into this fight was visibly gone from the Canada-based champ.

Round 4 was fairly even, that is until the final 20-odd seconds. Froch charged Bute, who was against the ropes, and proceeded to hammer away with the bell saving Bute from his first loss. Bute struggled to find his corner following that attack from Froch and I was surprised his corner didn’t pull him out then and there.

However Froch wasn’t to be denied on this night and he jumped on Bute from the very first second of round 5. Froch stalked his opponent around the ring and backed him up onto the ropes before unleashing a barrage of power shots that had Bute’s rocked Bute’s had back numerous times.

The referee jumped in and looked as though he stopped the fight, only to attempt to give Bute a standing 8 count as the champ struggled to keep himself upright.

But that was all immaterial as Bute’s corner walked into the ring to retire their fighter out and end the contest, to give Carl Froch his third world title.

Here below is the post-fight press conference:

Hear what Froch had to say on the fight:

Hear what promoter Eddie Hearn had to say on the fight:

No Easy Way Out: Froch – Bute Preview

No Easy Way Out

Carl “The Cobra” Froch will look to become a 3-time world champion when he takes on IBF champ Lucian Bute in his hometown of Nottingham tomorrow night. 

Both fighters weighed in under the 168 limit, with Froch weighing 167.3lbs and Bute coming in at 167.75lbs (see a video of the weigh in below).

This is a fight that is too close to call in my honest opinion.

Bute has been very well protected back in his adopted home of Canada and hasn’t fought the names or quality opposition that Froch has. Bute, unbeaten in 30 fights with 24 wins coming via KO, has looked very skilful in dispatching his opponents who, in truth, are a level or two below him and a level or two below Froch. He’s a silky, quick southpaw whose big body shots could cause serious problems for Froch, who has looked vulnerable against the more skilful boxers such as Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward.

However, Bute hasn’t been in there with anyone like Carl Froch before. He continues to press for 12 rounds and won’t give you a moment’s peace. He possesses a granite chin, a fantastic work ethic and packs a serious punch. How will Bute cope with that sort of pressure? Let’s not forget he was rocked big time (and in my opinion out for the count) against Librado Andrade.

While Bute has been very well protected through his career up to date, the same cannot be said of Carl Froch. His run of opponents is unheard of in modern boxing and he is the true definition of a warrior.

Froch will bring with him a wealth of experience of fighting at the elite level (something Bute does not have); he’ll have the backing of the home crowd, a relentless determination and has genuine knock-out power. The question is will he be able to impose himself on Bute? How much has that defeat against Andre Ward taken out of him?

We all know Froch is a warrior and he tends to let that get the best of him. It’s something he cannot allow to happen in this fight, he has to make sure his defence is on point. He can’t allow Bute to target the body too much. We all know Froch has a granite chin but a well placed body shot can send anyone down to the canvas. When he gets on the inside and he’s stopped throwing, tie Bute up. Don’t give him the chance to target the body.

Another thing that is vitally important is for Froch to get a good start. He can’t allow Bute to get into any sort of rhythm and build up a substantial lead. He has to get that jab going from the very start, and none of that flicking the lazy jab like has done in previous fights. Get back to the jab he used so superbly against Abraham.

This is a defining fight for both guys.

A win for Carl Froch and he’s back amongst the big boys at 168 and it would put his record beyond reproach. While a loss isn’t career ending, it certainly puts a big dent on his career.

Is he just a guy who can fight the elite or is he one of them?

A win for Bute and he finally has a legitimate name on his record and he cements himself among the elite and a potential fight with Super Six winner Andre Ward looms.

A loss for Bute is slightly more damaging. The bloggers and forum posters will have enough ammo to declare that Bute is not among the elite performers and that they were right about him from the start.

Sweet Science UK prediction

With that said I really can’t call the fight. It’s a real tough one.

How will Bute hold up against the pressure and power of Froch? How big a role will the crowd play? How will Froch deal with the champ’s body shots and southpaw stance?

If I had to choose, I’ll edge towrds the home town boy to win via points but I wouldn’t bank on it. I’ve changed my mind/prediction hundreds of times already and I’ll probably change it a hundred times again by the time the fight comes round.

What do you guys think?

Froch – Bute build up

Here are a few videos to get fans in the mood for Carl “The Cobra” Froch’s fight against IBF champion Lucian Bute.

The fight takes place Saturday May 26th at Nottingham’s Capital Arena for Lucian Bute’s IBF super-middleweight title.

When Worlds Collide: Froch v Bute:

Carl Froch: Behind The Ropes:

Lucian Bute: Behind The Ropes:

Froch on the fight:

Froch on rematch clause:

Bute on the fight:

Press conference:

Head to head:

Promo video:

More video’s will be added as they become available.