Cliff Rold

BoxingScene.com's Television Pick of The Week - October 15

Pick It: TBRB #3 Emanuel Navarrete vs. #10 Joet Gonzalez (Friday, ESPN+, 8:30 PM EST) - Winning major belts in boxing isn’t supposed to be easier, even if with all the belts around it feels easier than ever. 28-year old Joet Gonzalez (24-1, 14 KO) ca...

Will Briedis Seriously Attempt Heavyweight Before It’s Too Late?

By Cliff Rold - It could easily have been his era at cruiserweight. Lineal and IBF cruiserweight titlist Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KO) has to think that to himself. What competitor wouldn’t? A semi-finalist in the first World Boxing Super Series tourn...

BoxingScene Television Pick of The Week - October 9

Pick It: World Champion Tyson Fury vs. TBRB #3 Deontay Wilder (Saturday, ESPN/Fox PPV, 9:00 PM EST) - After almost two years out of the ring for both men, a trip through the legal system, and a COVID postponement, we arrive at chapter three. The 33-y...

Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III: Stats & Stakes

By Cliff Rold - The talking isn’t really over. Where heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is involved, talking is never going to be over. Challenger Deontay Wilder can certainly hold his own in that regard and their words directed at each other have been...

Deontay Wilder Looks To Join a Small Fraternity at Heavyweight

By Cliff Rold - Jersey Joe Walcott. If former WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KO) is looking for extra inspiration heading into this Saturday (FOX PPV, 9 PM EST), it’s a name he might want to look back to. Wilder is attempting to d...

Stradley's "The War" Adds Gamely to the Four Kings Library

The world knew what it had almost as soon as it was over. Top Rank’s retrospective documentary “The Fabulous Four” was a must-have on VHS almost thirty years ago. In the last thirty years, the library of film and books about the 1980s welterweight an...

Manny Pacquiao - Is It Really The End?

By Cliff Rold - Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest fighters ever to lace on a pair of gloves, a statesman in his native Philippines, let the world know retirement had arrived. Seven months after a post-fight interview with HBO’s Max Kellerman, Pacqu...

Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk: Stats & Stakes

By Cliff Rold - Saturday’s big heavyweight fight (DAZN, 1 PM EST) has some elements we haven’t seen a lot of.  Former undisputed cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk is only the eighth former champion of that class to challenge for one of the major heav...

BoxingScene.com's Television Pick of The Week - September 24

Pick It: TBRB #1 Anthony Joshua vs. #10 Oleksandr Usyk (Saturday, DAZN, 1:00 PM EST) - Tri-belted heavyweight titlist. Former undisputed cruiserweight champion. What more do we really need? The 34-year old Usyk (18-0, 13 KO) hasn’t looked as good at...

Oleksandr Usyk Takes The (Surprisingly Uncommon) Leap

By Cliff Rold - This Saturday (DAZN, 1 PM EST), former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KO) will make his third straight start at heavyweight and try to take all three of WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua be...

Burns' "Muhammad Ali" Says Little New, But Says It Well

Even now, five years after his unfortunate passing, Muhammad Ali might be the most recognizable athlete on the planet. Long ago rendered an icon of popular culture, the library of books, movies, and documentaries focused on Ali is vast. Ali can feel...

Review: "Brothel" Casts a Significant Ali Co-Star in The Lead

Hookers. Murder. Boxing. Author Patrick Connor lays out the promise of all three right there in the title of his first book, “Shot at a Brothel: The Spectacular Demise of Oscar “Ringo” Bonavena,” before delivering on the promise in a breezy, entertai...

Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter: Autumn Heat

By Cliff Rold - The chips are falling into place. Ever since former lightweight and Jr. welterweight champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KO), 33, rose to win a WBO belt at welterweight in June 2018, a vocal contingent of boxing fans have made it clea...

Junto Nakatani-Angel Acosta: A Chance to Steal the Show

There will be eyes on Friday’s ESPN+ main event and not for the right reasons. WBC super featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez tested positive for a substance banned under VADA protocols. As VADA is the administering agency for the WBC’s Clean Boxing Pr...

BoxingScene.com's Television Pick of The Week - September 10

Pick It: TBRB #4 Junto Nakatani vs. #10 Angel Acosta (Friday, ESPN+, 5:45 PM EST) - This is not a banner week for boxing. Along with the return of a nearly 60-year old Evander Holyfield in an ‘official’ fight , this show features a main event with a...