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Lem’s latest: Gennady Golovkin to return in October?

Fighters Network
14
Aug

WBA middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin is being targeted for an Oct. 18 return to the ring on HBO, although dates in November are also being considered, according to Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.

“The West Coast is a possibility. That’s probably the direction that we’re leaning toward because Gennady has fought now, I think, five times on the East Coast and so it would be time to bring him over here. He trains in Big Bear, Calif. and we’re based in Los Angeles,” said Loeffler.

“Plus, we’ve had a big demand from the fans out here on the West Coast to bring him out here, so we’re looking at fulfilling that. But the first step is finding him an opponent and then once we determine an opponent, then we can figure out a date and the venue for his next fight.”

Last month, Golovkin (30-0, 27 knockouts) scored a third round technical knockout over Daniel Geale at New York’s Madison Square Garden, representing his 17th straight stoppage victory and the 11th defense of his belt.

 



ABNER MARES RECOVERING FROM ‘MINOR’ CAR ACCIDENT.

Three-division titleholder Abner Mares said he is recovering from “soreness and stiffness” in his neck and back following a car accident in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.

Mares, 28, said he was the passenger in a car that was rear-ended and plans to visit a physician as a precautionary measure.

“It was a minor accident. There were no serious injuries. There is some soreness and stiffness in my neck and back,” said Mares, who hopes to return to action for “a late November, early December fight.”

“I’ve been working out but I’m going to take a whole week off and I’ll get that checked out by a doctor but I don’t think that it’s anything that I’ll have to worry about.”

Mares is coming off last month’s unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Oquendo, his first fight since losing his WBC featherweight title to Jhonny Gonzalez via first round knockout in August 2013.

THE RING’s number two-ranked featherweight behind Gonzalez, Mares has won belts as a bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight.

 

DANNY JACOBS TO AGAIN REPLACE PAULIE MALIGNAGGI AS GUEST ANALYST ON SHOWTIME

Middleweight Daniel Jacobs will replace Paulie Malignaggi as a Showtime boxing analyst for Saturday’s tripleheader headlined by IBF welterweight titlist Shawn Porter’s defense against Kell Brook at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., the network has announced.

Coming off last weekend’s fifth-round knockout of Jarrod Fletcher at Barclays Center in his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Jacobs is subbing for Malignaggi for the third time in four months.

Jacobs’ ringside experience includes the main event which featured IBF light heavyweight beltholder Bernard Hopkins dethroning Beibut Shumenov by unanimous decision for the WBA belt on April 19 and welterweight Keith Thurman’s third round knockout of Julio Diaz on April 26.

On the Hopkins-Shumenov undercard in Washington, D.C., Porter stopped Malignaggi in the fourth round and as a result, Malignaggi required time away from his Showtime post to recover from injuries suffered during the loss.

Jacobs is stepping in on Saturday due to a family obligation for Malignaggi.

“How cool is that? Fighting one week on one coast on Showtime and then announcing the fights the very next week on Showtime from the other coast,” said Jacobs, who will join host Brian Kenny, blow-by-blow announcer Mauro Ranallo, Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and reporter Jim Gray on Saturday.

“I love this. I think announcing fits me. To be able to do something like this, to be in this position is very important to me. Other fighters have done it as well, of course, but for me to be able to follow in their footsteps is an honor. It shows that we can not only announce fights but we can be good at it.”

Also on the Porter-Brook card is a rematch between WBC super middleweight titleholder Sakio Bika and Anthony Dirrell, who fought to a draw in December, as well as a defense by WBC lightweight beltholder Omar Figueroa against Daniel Estrada.

Like Jacobs, Dirrell is a cancer survivor.

“I’ve known Anthony since the amateurs. We’ve been friends since we were 16 or 17 years old. He had the battle first, mine was after. When I had my very first charity fundraiser party, Anthony attended. Afterward, we both discussed it and decided that we should do this together to inspire each other, to inspire others, especially after coming back the way we did to be in the positions that we are,” said Jacobs.

“This, for me, what Anthony and I have, is absolutely like a brotherhood, a fraternity between two guys who happen to be in the same tough sport as boxing. What we have set out to accomplish is bigger than boxing, bigger than me or him. This is for the world and to be an inspiration for people to give them hope. That’s what it’s about, just helping to lead the way to give people hope.”

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