calzaghe

IBF super middleweight beltholder and THE RING's No. 1-rated 168 pounder Carl Froch has the home advantage on Saturday against THE RING's No. 2-rated super middleweight Mikkel Kessler, who win their first clash by unanimous decision.

Going into the anticipated HBO-televised Mikkel Kessler-Carl Froch rematch this Saturday, HBO commentator Jim Lampley considers Froch the better fighter and Kessler the better boxer.

"I keep saying 'I'm different' because it is true and I'm going to prove it once again on July 13," said 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins, referring to his upcoming fight with Karo Murat, who is 19 years younger.

Super middleweights Sakio Bika and Marco Antonio Periban will fight for the vacant WBC title on the June 22 undercard of a Showtime-televised main event featuring Paulie Malignaggi's WBA welterweight title defense against Adrien Broner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Saul Alvarez: "On Saturday, after defeating [Austin] Trout, I will raise my hand and my belt and will be thinking of my brother. That belt is his."

Well-traveled super middleweight Sakio Bika will face Marco Antonio Periban for the WBC title following Andre Ward's being declared "Champion Emeritus."

If he gets beyond a mandatory title defense against Karo Murat in July, IBF light heavyweight beltholder Bernard Hopkins would like to face Carl Froch or Lucian Bute. (This story also contains a video of Hopkins accepting Gennady Golovkin's challenge.)

Andre Ward on Bernard Hopkins: "You know, I think this is the first time that I've seen Bernard Hopkins get embraced from the beginning of an event to the end of an event. But, I mean, look how long it took."

In becoming the oldest man to win a major boxing title in addition to becoming a 175-pound beltholder for the third time in his career, Bernard Hopkins says he is the antithesis to athletes like Lance Armstrong.

Tavoris Cloud on Bernard Hopkins' outfit at Wednesday's press conference: "It was funny to just turn around and to just see a grown man with a ski mask on standing there and not saying nothing to nobody."

IBF super middleweight titleholder Carl Froch has struck a deal to face WBA interim beltholder Mikkel Kessler in a rematch. Kessler defeated Froch by unanimous decision in April of 2010.

Having lost title bouts to Andre Ward, Lucian Bute and Joe Calzaghe, super middleweight contender Sakio Bika looks to cash in on a potential WBC title fight agianst Nikola Sjekloca on Feb. 16. 

RING, WBA and WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward said "I can't wait to get back out there and perform for all my fans" after having endured surgery on his right shoulder on Friday. 

While IBF light heavyweight titleholder Tavoris Cloud could defend his belt against Bernard Hopkins on March 9, IBF super middleweight beltholder Carl Froch is weighing mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson or WBA counterpart Mikkel Kessler.

Super middleweight contender Sakio Bika could face Nikola Sjekloca for the WBC's interim belt on Feb. 16, according to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

Former beltholder Juan Manuel Lopez wiill try to rebound from his second knockout loss to Orlando Salido when he returns to the ring on Feb. 2 against Aldimar Silva Santos in Lopez's native Puerto Rico.

Andre Ward on his shoulder injury: "I've still got many great years left in this sport. I'm just ready to get on the other side of this procedure and to get back to work."

Three-time titlewinners Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch could fight again this spring.

Does Juan Manuel Marquez rank with Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. among Mexico's all-time greats?

Super middleweight fringe contender Yusaf Mack on IBF titleholder Carl Froch, who he challenges on Saturday in England: "I don't fade and he can't beat me."

Former RING light heavyweight and middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins is being targeted for a comeback on March 9 opposite 175-pound titleholders Nathan Cleverly, Beibut Shumenov or Tavoris Cloud.

Super middleweight Mikkel Kessler will be after his fourth straight victory against Brian Magee on Dec. 8.

Boxer Peter Manfredo Jr. won't quit his day job as a laborer, that is, unless he can dethrone Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday. 

Bernard Hopkins: "I'm hoping that the commission in Los Angeles does the right thing and rewards my championship on paper back, and, second, disqualif(ies) Chad Dawson for a flagrant foul."

Joe Calzaghe on Bernard Hopkins: "I said, 'Okay, let's do a 60-40 split,' and that completely shut him up. He wouldn't be quiet, and so I said, '60-40,' and he went silent. He said, 'Can't we negotiate?'"

Joe Calzaghe, the only southpaw to have defeated Bernard Hopkins, gives his take on how Chad Dawson will fare against the 46-year-old titleholder.

Antonio Tarver knows both fighter first-hand, and thinks Hopkins will go down swinging.