RSSLovemore N'dou
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
EEC - April 17, 2007
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- According to a recent interview with BBC Sport, Jermain Taylor has turned down promoter Frank Warren’s latest offer of $4 million in order to fight Joe Calzaghe in London later this summer.
Warren has apparently been trying extremely hard to land Taylor as Calzaghe’s 21st title defense in July. However Taylor is now saying that he wants more than double the amount in order to lace up the gloves with Calzaghe.
“If Joe and Frank want me that much, make me an offer for $10 million and I will show up and bring him a gift to his front door,” Taylor told BBC Sport.
Taylor will take on Cory Spinks first on May 19th. He also says that he has no problem at all traveling overseas to Calzaghe’s home turf to fight him…
“No atmosphere is intimidating because, once you start fighting, your focus is on the man in front of you,” Taylor added.
If Taylor and Warren are unable to come to terms on a deal than Calzaghe may have to settle for a mandatory title defense against Dennis Irkin.
- Joan Guzman has fired Don House as his head trainer and replaced him with Floyd Mayweather Sr…
- Lovemore Ndou is certain that he can “whip Ricky Hatton’s ass”...
“Why do you think he chose to hand over the title rather than let me fight him for it? He knows he would get his ass whipped, simple as that. Instead he chose to fight Castillo who, just like him, is on the slide, Ndou said. “Fatton’s people know that I’m capable of doing more damage to that beer-belly than Castillo would at this time of his career. And truth is, if the Castillo that fought Corrales shows up that night, he is capable of punching Fatton through the ropes.”
Some Good Reads:
Eastside Boxing: Rating The Heavyweights - After Saturday’s Shake-Up, Today’s Top-Ten
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Monday, March 19, 2007
Ndou Calls Out Gatti
Reigning IBF super lightweight world champion Lovemore “Black Panther” Ndou is issuing the challenge and putting the boxing world on notice that he is ready to face Arturo “Thunder” Gatti. “I understand that HBO, Gatti’s promoter Main Events and his manager are meeting this week to decide on his next opponent,” he said. “The only name they have to consider is Lovemore Ndou.” Born in Transvaal, South Africa and now a citizen of Australia, 35 year-old Ndou (45 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw, 30 knockouts) is currently rated No. 4 by The Ring magazine at super lightweight..
“This fight will be about two warriors going toe to toe,” he said. “It will be a hell of a battle and all the fans live in the arena and watching at home on HBO will get their monies worth. Our styles suit each other perfectly. The fans will be asking for more. This fight will be such a great battle that this will end up being a trilogy.
“I have great respect for Arturo Gatti and what he has achieved. He is the people’s champion to the fans because of what he gives in the ring. If there were more fighters like him, boxing would be in much better health. You only have to look at the crowds he attracts to show what he means to his fans.”
Ndou says that HBO can do the sport of boxing a favor by making Gatti v Ndou.
“If the decision were solely up to Gatti, I know he would take the fight like a man,” said Ndou. “If HBO want to give the fans what they love to see, make this fight. I’m not a runner. I love to go toe to toe. We are very similar in that we enter the ring with only one goal in mind – victory.”
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Hatton Relinquishes IBF Title; Ndou to be Named Champ and Defend Against Hopkins?
Ricky Hatton was forced to give up his IBF Junior Welterweight Title after deciding to go ahead and face Jose Luis Castillo on June 23rd rather than defending his belt against the IBF’s mandatory challenger, Lovemore N’dou.
The June 23rd date is not yet set in stone as June 2nd is the other possible date that HBO has available to televise the bout…
The decision was made once one of Hatton’s promoters announced that his client would be fighting Castillo this summer:
“We had an agreement in place to fight Castillo next on June 23 on HBO, and after the fight with Urango we announced that fight at the press conference,” said Artie Pelullo, Hatton’s American co-promoter.
The decision was officially announced to the IBF yesterday…
Said Dennis Hobson, Hatton’s British co-promoter: “We informed the IBF by letter Friday night that we are moving on to the super fight with Castillo in June without the IBF title. Ricky is very proud to be a two-time IBF champion, and, speaking as a promoter, the IBF have always been great to work with. This is a decision we’d have preferred not to have had to make, but, having thought long and hard about it, I believe this is the best way forward for Ricky.”
While it hasn’t been actually announced yet, various reports are coming out of Australia saying that N’dou will be given the belt and then be forced to fight mandatory challenger Demetrius Hopkins providing that Hopkins defeats Contender alumni Steve Forbes on March 17th.