1. Canelo Says Jacobs Is Tougher Than GGG
if there is anyone who knows what kind of fighter Gennady Golovkin is, it is Canelo Avalrez. The WBA, WBC, The Ring, and Lineal Middleweight Champion fought in two competitive bouts against GGG, one a draw and the other a victory. Even with his history with Golovkin, Alvarez easily looks past him in comparison to his May 4th opponent, Daniel Jacobs.
Set to face the current IBF Middleweight champion in a unification fight, Alvarez views the Brooklyn-born Jacobs as a tougher challenge than his two fights against GGG.
“Technically, he’s a much better fighter [than Golovkin],” Alvarez stated.
“Look, his abilities are much better. He’s much more difficult. He’s one of the most complicated [fighters]. He has one of the most complete styles in boxing.”
2. Brock Turns Down UFC Return Due To ESPN+ Deal
Many wondered why former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would announce his retirement from MMA after returning last year to confront Daniel Cormier and return to the USADA testing pool.
Lesnar, who was negotiating a deal to fight Daniel Cormier in August at UFC 241 in Anaheim, would tell Dana White last week that he’d be walking away from the sport instead of signing to fight the current heavyweight champion.
Why? Well, per Dave Meltzer, Lesnar was worried he’d be getting shorted a huge payday because of the UFC’s new deal with ESPN+.
The deal, announced prior to UFC 236 last month, ended a 25+ year run of the UFC airing their pay-per-view events on traditional pay-per-view, instead customers could only purchase the events if they were an ESPN+ subscriber.
On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer says Brock Lesnar wanted a flat fee for his next UFC fight due to UFC pay-per-view now being online only. Dave says the number was deemed too high & turned down by the UFC.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) May 2, 2019
3. Gomez: Canelo-GGG III Must Happen
With both fighters signed to nine-figure deals with the same platform, many expect Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin to fight one more time.
Even though many signs point to a September showdown between two of the elite middleweights in the sport, Alvarez muddled up the chances by claiming GGG must have a belt for their to be a trilogy fight.
Now, it seems that tune has changed, at least according to Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez.
“It has to happen,” Gomez told Sky Sports. “Both fights were great fights, the first two fights, and he’s got no problem fighting him again.”
Golovkin feels he was robbed in both fights, and has made significant changes to his team, including the firing of his longtime trainer and mentor Abel Sanchez. Golovkin will make his DAZN debut on June 8th, when he faces Canadian Steve Rolls at Madison Square Garden.
“I think there’s an equal desire,” Gomez added. “Golovkin is a fighter that also believes in history and he’s got a lot of pride. He can’t retire without having one more crack at Canelo.”
4. Conan Offers Conor UFC Shares In A Fight
While Dana White isn’t interested in giving Conor McGregor a stake in the UFC, one of the celebs who gained a piece when WME-IMG purchased them in 2016 is willing to pony up.
Late night host and tormentor of Jordan Shlansky, Conan O’Brien told TMZ this week that he’d consider facing off with McGregor inside the Octagon with his shares on the line.
“I will fight him for his [share],” O’Brien told TMZ.
“If he can take me in the Octagon. I’d have to take a look at the paperwork. I’m all about the paperwork. If the paperwork works out, then we’ll talk about it.”
While a fight is unlikely between the two red-heads, one would hope it would fair better for the writer of The Simpsons’ Monorail episode than it did when the two faced off on O’Brien’s Clueless Gamer series a few years ago.
McGregor, who has a playful history (literally and metaphorically) with O’Brien, took to Twitter to answer the challenge.
Challenge accepted Conan!
I’ll whoop you and Walhberg in the same night.
Double shares for the Double Champ! https://t.co/lFvVEb41Eh— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 2, 2019
Challenge accepted Conan! I’ll whoop you and Walhberg in the same night. Double shares for the Double Champ!
McGregor’s mention of Wahlberg continues the former UFC double champion’s trend of calling out the Boston-born actor who also owns a piece of the UFC.
5. Luis Ortiz Team Rejected $7 Million To Fight Joshua
Eddie Hearn promised that he would “reveal” the conversations he had with Luis Ortiz management, once Anthony Joshua had an opponent, and he kept his promise on Wednesday.
Hearn, who promotes the unified world heavyweight champion looked to secure Luis Ortiz to replace Jarrell Miller on June 1st at Madison Square Garden, especially when Ortiz’ manager rang him up when the news broke.
“I got two phone calls when the [Miller] news broke straight away. One was Don King and one was Jay Jimenez who is Luis Ortiz’s manager. Jay Jimenez phoned me up and said, ‘I can’t believe this, I don’t think Luis will be ready.’ I think I spoke to ‘AJ’ an hour or so before and he said to get him anyone,” Hearn told IFL TV.
“I said, ‘Find out if Luis will be ready.’ He came back the next day or two days later and said, ‘Make us an offer.’ I made them an offer $6 million – that was my first offer,” Hearn explained. “He didn’t come back to that offer. I like Jay Jimenez so I don’t want to out him too badly because I don’t think it’s his fault but I just want to get the facts right.”
“No reply, this was on Friday. Monday I said, ‘I’ll call you.’ Later on that day I came back and said, ‘Right, this is it, $7 million for June 1. [If he wins, he gets] a rematch for quite a bit more and if he loses, I’ll give you another fight for a lot of money for security.’ Nothing back.”