Oscar De La Hoya wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, Jake Paul has his sights set on fighting for a world title with Canelo and Terence Crawford is finally returning. Here are five boxing stories you might have missed this week.
Manny Pacquiao Vs Errol Spence Heading For Vegas, 20,000 Fans Expected
Eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao will be making his 22nd Las Vegas outing in August when he takes on unified welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr on August 21.
The mouth-watering clash between two of the sport’s pound-for-pound best has now found a venue at the T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Despite spending so much time in Sin City over his glittering career, this will be the first time Pacquiao has fought at the arena, which hosted its first boxing match in 2016. The fight will be at full capacity, with a crowd of 20,000 expected to attend.
Oscar De La Hoya Outlines Comeback Plans
Former three-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya returns to the boxing ring at the age of 48 when he takes on ex-MMA champion Vitor Belfort on September 11, but that hasn’t stopped ‘the Golden Boy’ from looking ahead, including a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
“I have a plan; I want to make the biggest comeback in boxing history,” Oscar De La Hoya told DAZN.
“I want to get two of these fights under my belt and get the timing ready and everything, and then my third one, I want to call out Floyd Mayweather.
“I think Floyd after that exhibition he did with [YouTuber] Logan [Paul], I think Floyd has, I think he feels like he has to prove something once again inside the boxing ring.
“So look, if I come out OK, my body feels great, I’m telling you, my jab feels faster than ever. If I feel good about these next two fights that I have, I’m going to call out Floyd.”
Jake Paul Believes Canelo Fight Can Happen
YouTuber Jake Paul, who fights former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in August, insists the sky’s the limit when it comes to just how far he can take his fledgling boxing career and that includes a future world title fight with pound-for-pound superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
“I just want to continue to be the most disruptive boxer in the history of the sport,” he explained,” Paul told TMZ.
“That means taking this on a fight-by-fight basis and continuing to get even bigger and take on more and more serious opponents. If you told me where I was gonna be at three years ago, I wouldn’t believe you.
“So I don’t even wanna think about, or ‘cap’ myself, with the possibilities. I’m open-minded and I think anything is possible,” he continued. “I think I could be fighting against Canelo Alvarez for the WBC or the WBO championship belt. Why not, baby?”
Terence Crawford Returning In October
He doesn’t have an opponent yet but it looks like Terence Crawford is finally getting back in action with his promoter Bob Arum confirming to ESPN that the unbeaten WBO welterweight champion will return on October 23.
Crawford, 37-0 (28), was last in action back in November, beating Kell Brook in Las Vegas. ‘Bud’ is considered one of the finest fighters on the planet but his lack of activity has put serious doubts over his legacy. Hopefully this fight, whoever steps into the opposite corner, will help get the Nebraskan back on track.
KSI Teams Up With Wasserman Boxing For New Promotional Company
YouTuber KSI has joined forces with Wasserman Boxing and his management team, Proper Loud, to form a new promotional company which will stage celebrity and crossover boxing events.
“Since beating Logan Paul, I’ve been plotting my next move in boxing. Whenever I make a move, it’s always big,” said the 28-year-old.
“I’m excited to announce that I have partnered with the Sauerland brothers, Wasserman Boxing and Proper Loud to create my own boxing promotion. Get ready for some incredible events featuring the biggest names from the world of sport and entertainment.”
Kalle Sauerland, Head of Global Boxing at Wasserman, added, “This is a major move for the boxing and entertainment industries. KSI is a mega-star with huge crossover appeal. He knows how to market himself and he knows how to sell events. He will bring a new audience to the sport of boxing.”
