Khan-Alexander Bout Headlines stacked Dec. 13 Card

(Pictured left to right: Devon Alexander, Amir Khan)

Always exciting British welterweight Amir Khan (29-3-0) will face American welterweight Devon Alexander (24-2-0) in a welterweight bout on December 13th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight will take place at the MGM Grand, and will headline a card featuring a world title fight between Jermell Charlo and Demetrius Andrade.

Khan and Alexander had been rumored to fight last year but the fight never came together. Now, with both fighters having a clear schedule and no definitive fights lined up, they will face eachother in a non-title 12 round fight. The Charlo-Andrade fight promises to be an entertaining middleweight title fight between the undefeated prospect Jermell Charlo (24-0-0) and the young, undefeated champion Demetrius Andrade. (21-0-0)

Also scheduled to fight on the card are current welterweight champion Keith Thurman, and former champions Abner Mares, a featherweight, and welterweight Victor Ortiz. Thurman is an undefeated champion (23-0-0, 21 KO's) with tremendous knockout power, which he will try to use against undefeated Italian welterweight Leonard Bundu (31-0-2). Much hype has come Thurman's way recently, as fans and pundits alike believe he could be the next to capture the welterweight throne after Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao hang up the gloves. Mares and Ortiz do not yet have opponents announced for their respective fights. This card is stacked with young talent and should provide Boxing fans with a nice action-packed show to end the year.

(Photo Credit: http://www.thenational.ae/storyimage/AB/20130811/ARTICLE/308119925/AR/0/&MaxW=640&imageVersion=default&AR-308119925.jpg)

Hopkins-Kovalev Fight Preview

49 year old living legend Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins is facing what many pundits deem the toughest opponent of his career in undefeated 31 year old Russian light heavyweight Sergey Kovalev. The fight takes place next Saturday, November 8th at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hopkins holds the record for the oldest man to capture a significant championship belt in boxing, at 49 years old. He started his career in 1988, when Kovalev was just 5 years old. Bernard has changed his nickname form "The Executioner" to "The Alien" because what he is accomplishing inside of the boxing ring is not human. 

To be almost 50 years old and beating fighters who are often 10-15 years his junior is remarkable. How does Hopkins do it? Well, Bernard has always prided himself on hitting, and not getting hit, which is the essence of boxing. Boxing isn't about who packs the harder punch, who has the quickest hands, or who has the best chin. Its about hitting your opponent, and not getting hit back. This is what Hopkins has done best over a 26 year career, compiling a professional record of 55-6-2.

Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev on the other hand, also lives up to his nickname. He has a pro record of 25-0-1 with 23 wins coming by way of knockout. The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds, as are all championship fights, yet Kovalev has never been past the 8th round in his pro career. Kovalev usually makes quick work of his opponents, knocking them out early, and exciting fans. This fight is one of those great clash of styles fights, and is building up to be one of the better fights of the year. Come November 8th, we'll see if the old man Hopkins, who has defied all odds to get to this point, still has something left in the tank, or if Kovalev will reign supreme.

(Photo Credit: http://thaboxingvoice.com/will-the-alien-hopkins-abduct-kovalev-because-of-distractions/32602)

Martin Murray wins by Technical Decision, will Face Golovkin in February

(Golvokin left, Murray right)

Middleweight champ Martin Murray defeated Italian Domenico Spada on Saturday, which guaranteed him a fight against undefeated Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. The two had signed a contract to fight, stating that they both had to win their next fights. Golovkin KO'd Marco Antonio Rubio last week, and Murray won via Technical Decision on Saturday to lock the fight in with Golovkin.

This fight was stopped in the 7th round due to a cut by Spada's right eye. The ringside doctor had examined the cut numerous times throughout the fight, and advised referee Daniel Van de Wiele that it was unsafe for Spada to continue. By rule, if a cut occurs from a headbutt that is deemed accidental, or from a clean punch and the fight is stopped, then it goes to the scorecards if it was past the halfway point of the fight (6th round of a 12 round fight). If the fight was stopped prior to the halfway point, then it is automatically ruled a technical draw. In this case, the fight was stopped in the 7th and Murray was ahead on all three scorecards, so he won via technical decision.

Looking ahead to the Murray-Golovkin clash in February of next year, Golovkin is likely the favorite in the matchup. Both fighters will likely provide the toughest test to eachother in each of their respective careers.

(Photo Credit: http://www.martinmurrayboxing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/golovkin-murray.jpg)