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https://www.boxingscene.com/espinoza-now-well-start-learning-how-good-haney-really--135257

Espinoza: Now We'll Start Learning How Good Haney Really Is
By Keith Idec

One of the things Stephen Espinoza especially likes about Devin Haney is his willingness to accept steps up in competition every fight.

The precocious prospect/contender just turned 20 in mid-November. That hasn’t stopped the talented lightweight from embracing the types of challenges television executives like Espinoza expect when paying sizeable license fees for content.

Espinoza, Showtime’s president for sports and event programming, thinks Haney is on the cusp of becoming a “Showtime Championship Boxing” fighter. First, though, the Las Vegas resident must pass what Haney anticipates will be the most difficult fight of his three-year pro career Friday night.

Haney (20-0, 13 KOs) is scheduled to box unbeaten South African contender Xolisani Ndongeni in a 10-round lightweight bout that’ll headline a “ShoBox: The New Generation” tripleheader from Shreveport, Louisiana (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT). Ndongeni has competed outside of South Africa just once in his eight-year pro career, but the 28-year-old contender is skilled and hungry, well aware of how upsetting Haney could change his entire life.

Espinoza is interested in watching how Haney deals with a legitimate lightweight contender who’s in his physical prime.

“Through his ‘ShoBox’ appearances, Devin has already demonstrated that he sort of deserves to be considered as one of the top young, rising stars in the sport,” Espinoza said. “And now begins the process of stepping up, and seeing how deep his talent really is. In the conversations with Devin and his father, they haven’t been reluctant at all to take tougher fights. So, I think this is the first step of many in which these opponents are gonna be successively more challenging, and we’ll find out how good Devin really is.

“Obviously, he has looked really, really good in his appearances thus far. But the question really gets answered when you start stepping up the talent. That’s where he is now in his career progression.”

Victories over Mason Menard and Juan Carlos Burgos in his past two fights have advanced Haney’s career. Unlike Ndongeni, though, each of those opponents had lost before Haney defeated them.

Haney beat Menard (34-4, 24 KOs) by technical knockout following nine one-sided rounds May 11 at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Four months later, Haney expertly out-boxed Burgos (33-3-2, 21 KOs) in their 10-rounder September 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.

Prior to losing to Haney, Burgos hadn’t been beaten since four-division champion Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) topped him by unanimous decision in their January 2014 bout in The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Burgos’ comparative inactivity between his fights against Garcia and Haney cost him, however. He also experienced most of his success within the featherweight division, two weight classes below where he lost to Haney.

Haney didn’t attain his goal of becoming the first fighter to knock out the Mexican veteran, though he did beat Burgos convincingly. Haney won all 10 rounds on two scorecards (100-90) and one judge scored seven of their 10 rounds for him (97-93).

“I know he wanted the knockout really badly and was a little disappointed,” Espinoza said. “But I think given the type of fighter he was fighting – not just that he hasn’t been stopped, but that he has been a world-title challenger – I think he was exactly what Devin needed for his career development. The only criticism that you could offer, and it’s not much of a criticism, is that he didn’t stop him. But to have that kind of showing, at his age, against a guy who has been in world title fights, speaks really well for Devin’s talent.”

Before Haney and Ndongeni square off, Showtime will televise two undercard fights from Stage Works, a studio complex in downtown Shreveport.

The three-fight telecast will start with heavyweights – an eight-rounder that’ll match Cuba’s Frank Faure (10-0, 8 KOs, 1 NC) against Indianapolis’ Willie Jake Jr. (8-1-1, 2 KOs). The co-featured fight, an eight-round battle between featherweight prospects, will pit Ruben Villa (14-0, 5 KOs), a southpaw from Salinas, California, against Colombia’s Ruben Cervera (10-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC).
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Tonight on showtime

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/...ey-ruben-villa-ready-embrace-spotlight-friday

Lightweight Devin Haney and featherweight Ruben Villa are two of the best prospects in boxing, and they will strut their stuff against undefeated opponents in their 2019 debuts on Friday night.

In the main event of the "ShoBox: The New Generation" tripleheader (10 p.m. ET/PT) at StageWorks in Shreveport, Louisiana, Haney will headline in a 10-round bout against an opponent many view as the toughest of his career in Xolisani Ndongeni. Villa will make his television debut in the eight-round co-feature against Ruben Cervera.


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The card will open with heavyweights Frank Sanchez Faure (10-0, 8 KOs) and Willie Jake Jr. (8-1-1, 2 KOs) in an eight-rounder but most eyes will be squarely on Haney and Villa.
 
Oh...this is jus a highlight reel fight for haney....

African nigga bout to be ktfo by 5th or 6th
 
Well This not the fight that's going to propel haney into stardom...

He close but needs to develop grown man strength he still a strong ass kid
 
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Haney got a fast jab, but there's nothing on it.

He put some power in that shit.... Sit down on it.... He can go some places.

Only reason this fight went 12 was cuz there was nothing on the jab, that pretty much landed at will
 
I was impressed by that Villa kid he’s got some nice skills.. As far as Haney goes he needs to stop head hunting so much.. And go to the body more.. That nigga doesn’t have power to head hunt contastly like that...
 
Joey Spencer looked amazing.

Don't know why I ain't put money on him
 
https://www.boxingscene.com/hearn-rips-geezer-lennox-lewis-talking-sht-on-joshua--135381

Hearn Rips 'Geezer' Lennox Lewis For 'Talking Sh*t' on Joshua

Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, has lashed out at former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Hearn says he's fed up with some of the statements that Lewis has said about Joshua - certainly with respect to the failed negotiations to make a unification with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

Joshua is scheduled to return n April 13th at Wembley Stadium in London. The next opponent is unknown.

In a recent interview with CompuBox TV, Lewis was critical of Joshua and said the unbeaten champion was playing it safe by staying away from Wilder and Tyson Fury.

“He doesn’t want any of those guys. When he’s seen that fight [between Wilder and Joshua] he was like ‘wow, these guys can box’. He’s at a place in his career in boxing – obviously he can make the decisions. His decision is not to fight any of them at this moment," Lewis said.

“I don’t think he will come over here [to the USA] quite now. I think he’s too happy in England being protected and boxing in front of the British crowds.”

But Hearn says he's had enough of Lewis and critical comments pertaining to Joshua's career decisions.

“All these things, people like Lennox Lewis, I’ve never known a geezer talk so much sh*t as Lennox Lewis at Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told Boxing News.

“Is it just because he’s bitter that he couldn’t sign him when he tried to? All the things that Lennox is telling us to do, we’ve already done them. ‘What about offer them this percentage deal?’ – done. You just think that it’s AJ not wanting the fight. Absolute bullsh*t.”

“So it’s frustrating. Because you’ve got all these people saying AJ don’t want the fight, what more can we do? Made flat offers, percentage offers, double way rematch, fight in America, but they won’t even reply. If that don’t tell you what you need to know, I’m lost, baffled.”
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https://www.boxingscene.com/amir-khan-i-get-called-terrorist-all-time-on-social-media--135390

Amir Khan: I Get Called 'Terrorist' All The Time on Social Media

British superstar Amir Khan admits that it hasn't been easy wit the daily critics that go after him on social media.

Khan, due his Muslim background and being from Pakistan, takes a lot of heat from the social media crowd - especially with some of the incidents happening all over the world on a regular basis.

"I think at the end of the day what plays a big part in it is what’s happening around the world, especially with terrorism," Khan tells Daily Mail. "I’m not going to pretend that I have gotten it worse than anybody else. I actually think I’m luckier than others. But I get called a terrorist, a P*** and racial names like that on social media all the time. Me being a Muslim – and I’m totally against terrorism by the way – I think some people are always going to point the finger. At the end of the day it’s what has been out there on the news and when people see stuff like that people are going to be like “Oh yeah Amir is one of them as well”.

"It’s definitely a social issue and not just a boxing one or sport one. One thing I like to say to them is that I’m just as British as you. I was born here and have actually represented and won a medal and world titles for my country. I try to not let it get to me really. I know I’m British and I know what I’m about. People can say what they want, if it makes them feel better then fine. I just try and focus on my boxing, that is what made me."

Khan returns to the ring on April 20th, when he faces WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

On Tuesday, Khan and Crawford will go face to face when they officially announce their fight in London.

"I might wake up one morning and say 'I don’t want to do it no more' but at the moment I still have the love and still love everything about the sport. Boxing is on a high at the moment, not only in the UK but around the world as well so while it is, I want to be part of that," Khan said.

"I want to get a good few fights in, try and win another world title and then call it a day. To become a two-time world champion is my ultimate goal. I think I’ve done everything pretty much perfect. I can look back on my career without any regrets, but it would be the icing on the cake to finish off with another world title."
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https://www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-amir-khan-officially-set-april-20-espn-ppv--135401

Terence Crawford-Amir Khan Officially Set for April 20 ESPN PPV
By Jake Donovan

Top Rank and ESPN have officially entered the Pay-Per-View market, running with its star welterweight to help launch the platform.

A long-speculated showdown between unbeaten welterweight titlist Terence Crawford and England’s Amir Khan is officially set for April 20, topping an ESPN PPV event at a location to be determined.

The bout itself was revealed during a press conference held Tuesday in London.

“The Crawford-Khan showdown is a very interesting matchup of two elite fighters,” Bob Arum, founder and chairman of Top Rank said of the forthcoming matchup. “Khan, when fighting at welterweight, is as good as there is, but he is fighting the division’s best fighter and a pound-for-pound great.

“It will be an entertaining and competitive fight. We are also excited to join forces with ESPN on our first pay-per-view venture under the Top Rank on ESPN agreement.”

Additional details surrounding the event—including location and price points both for tickets and the PPV purchase itself—were not yet made public. There is heavy speculation that the fight will land at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Las Vegas also remaining a secondary yet viable option.

Regardless, the fight itself is in line with what Crawford (34-0, 25KOs) had in mind when recommitting to the Top Rank family through a long-term deal reached last fall. The demand from the three-division champ and pound-for-pound entrant was big fights from here on out.

The welterweight division is rich with talent, but with most of his best options—including fellow unbeaten titlists Keith Thurman and Errol Spence, Jr.—fighting under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) umbrella and already with scheduled fights of their own.

That led to the Top Rank brass reaching out to Khan, who ultimately accepted.

“It’s always been my goal to fight the best fighters out there, and I look at Amir Khan as one of the top fighters in my division,” said Crawford, who will make the second defense of the welterweight title he claimed in a 9th round stoppage of Jeff Horn last June. “I know some people are writing him off, but I am by no means overlooking him.

“He’s a former unified world champion, and come April 20, I’ll be looking to go out there to seek and destroy. I’m excited about this fight because I believe it can push my career to another level.”

For months, Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) appeared to be on a collision course with longtime domestic rival Kell Brook, although the two spent more time bickering through the media than in coming to terms for a long-awaited all-UK showdown.

Such a fight even was a major factor in the 2008 Olympic Silver medalist signing a promotional pact with Matchroom Boxing earlier this year. He has fought twice under Matchroom’s banner, scoring wins over Phil Lo Greco and Samuel Vargas after having spent nearly two years sitting on a May ’16 knockout loss to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Las Vegas.

However, Khan torched such plans just days before Brook’s hometown showcase win over Michael Zerefa last December—which happened to fall on Khan’s birthday—when going public with an offer made by Top Rank to instead face Crawford.

All parties involved acknowledged that a domestic dustup with Brook would be far more lucrative for Khan. However, the 32-year old Brit liked the idea of challenging whom he believes to be the very best boxer in the world.

“I’m delighted to announce a much-anticipated world title fight with Terence Crawford, the current WBO welterweight world champion,” Khan said. “The decision as to fighting Kell Brook or Crawford has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career to date. Clearly, the UK fans want to see Khan vs. Brook, but I could not turn down the opportunity to fight for the WBO title.”

His thinking was the public appeal for a Brook fight will always be there, as such a showdown will carry a theme of unfinished business more than any surrounding relevance.

“That is not to say that the Brook fight won't happen, as I want that fight to happen as soon as possible,” Khan insists. “Fighting a world champion won't be easy, but this is exactly the challenge I need at this stage of my career. I am fully motivated and ready for the best training camp of my life. Crawford is beatable, and I want that WBO title. It's going to be one hell of a fight.”

If nothing else, it ends months of back-and-forth between the longtime domestic rivals, which is relief to the one person caught directly in the middle.

"There has been a lot of speculation regarding Amir's next fight, but the lure to trying to win another world title was too much to turn down, and now he faces arguably the number one welterweight in the world in Terence Crawford,” said Eddie Hearn, Khan’s UK promoter. “It's a fight he believes he can win, and on his night, Amir has all the speed and skills to beat the very best. I believe it will be a fascinating and dramatic matchup."

It’s been more than six years since Khan has held a title around his waist, as he has lost his last three title fights. A Dec. ’11 controversial split decision loss to Lamont Peterson resulted in Khan losing one of the two 140-pound titles he had in possession, with the other being conceded in a 4th round knockout loss to Danny Garcia in their July ’12 unification bout.

His lone other title fight since then came in an ill-fated move up the scales, where he was flattened in six rounds by Saul Alvarez in their May 2016 PPV headliner. The bout was officially for the middleweight title, although taking place at a catch weight of 155 pounds.

That said, Khan boasts a perfect record in the welterweight division. He is 5-0 in bouts at or near the 147-pound limit, including having beaten three former titlists—Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri—all in succession in the span of just over 12 month’s time.

The lopsided win over Collazo in May 2014 went a long way in justifying this particular matchup.

Collazo—a 37-year Nuyorican southpaw and former welterweight titlist—was once the frontrunner to land a title fight with Crawford, having agreed to terms for a March 23 clash at Madison Square Garden.

Crawford, on the other hand, never signed the bout agreement, instead reminding the Top Rank family of his desire for big fights moving forward. There’s no question a showdown with Khan carries the bigger event feel.

The proposed clash will mark the second welterweight title defense for Crawford (34-0, 25KOs), who is coming off of a 12th round stoppage of previously unbeaten Jose Benavidez last October. The ESPN-televised clash served as the most watched boxing event of 2018, drawing well north of 2 million viewers.

As for the in-ring result itself, the feat marked Crawford’s 5th straight stoppage victory, also running his record to 12-0 (9KOs) in title fights spanning three weight divisions.
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I can’t believe their putting this fight on PPV...
 
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