Fight fans, we are in the full swing of thing in the New Year and now boxing news is swirling all around. With that said, here is this week’s Around the Ring:
- “Money” on Tour – Floyd Mayweather Jr has announced he will travel across the pond on what he is calling a “Victory” tour. He will be making stops in Belgium and the Netherlands as well as various cities in the United Kingdom. It can be guessed that he will be giving some kind of talk. Tickets are going for around $500 and as much as $3000 for the VIP treatment where you get to meet him. Let’s see how the Brits take to the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- “Pac Man” in the States – Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao has arrived in the United States to go on a very short press tour along with Timothy Bradley for their scheduled April 9th fight. This past Tuesday they were in Los Angeles and on Thursday they will be in New York, the only two stops. According to Pacquiao this will be his last professional fight. By the buzz, or better said non-buzz, this fight is getting, it probably be best if they visited more than two cities. Maybe one in each state of the Union or even each country in the world.
- Salido vs. Vargas Anyone? – Since now for the moment the rematch between Orlando Salido against Roman “Rocky” Martinez has been discarded, it looks like Salido has now set his sights on newly crowned WBC super featherweight Francisco “Bandido” Vargas. Yes, please. No date or venue has been set for this fight or even talks begun but Salido hopes it can happen in the first half of 2016.
- Still Threatening – Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez keeps threatening he wants to have a farewell fight this year. Marquez has not stepped into a ring since handily defeating Mike Alvarado back in May of 2014. In the meantime Marquez has kept himself busy with commentating on Spanish-language networks, promoting and at times trying to make fights with the likes of IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook. Marquez has targeted the weekend of 5 de Mayo for his return. No opponent, venue or TV network has been announced or even mentioned.
- Reunited and it Feels So Good – It was announced earlier this week that Gennady Golovkin will share a fight card once again with the considered pound for pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez on April 23rd. The two fights will be broadcast live on HBO. The night will mark the third time the two men share the ring in a row. The first was when Golovkin defeated Willie Monroe Jr while Gonzalez stopped Edgar Sosa. Last October Golovkin stopped David Lemieux for the IBF middleweight title while minutes before Gonzalez stopped Brian Viloria in a competitive fight. Opponents are being searched for the April 23rd while a venue is being discussed in either southern California or Texas. An offer was made to newly minted WBO 160lb champ Billie Joe Saunders to face “GGG” but he declined.
