matthew hurley

Barrera–Juarez: A Worthy Pay-Per-View

I officially closed the summer this past Saturday night at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts completely and utterly entranced by Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon beneath a clear sky and a full moon. When the concert was ove...

Barrera-Juarez 2: Rebirth or Changing of The Guard

On the night of Saturday, May 20th, Rocky Juarez, stepped into the ring to face off against one of the truly great fighters of the last ten years. Juarez, a 2000 US Olympic silver medallist, was not back-handedly dismissed by writers and fans when i...

Evander Holyfield – Flickering Flame

When Evander Holyfield steps into the ring this Friday night against Jeremy Bates, the bout will be broadcast on the Fox Sports Network. Holyfield’s name alone will garner curiosity seekers and some of those who don’t closely follow boxing might just...

Random Thoughts From Pillar To Post

Having already ranted about my disgust with Bob Arum and HBO for charging fight fans $49.95 for the Hasim Rahman–Oleg Maskaev rematch this Saturday night I’ve decided to let that previous article stand on its own rather than spending anymore time on...

Rahman-Maskaev: Pay-Per-View Worthy?

My, how far the heavyweight division has fallen. Of course this is not news to followers of the sport but even diehard fans have got to be scratching their heads over the August 12th rematch between current WBC belt holder Hasim Rahman and challenge...

Fernando Vargas – A Pat On The Back

There is a tendency in every sport to kick a man when he’s down. When an athlete disappoints or carries on too long and sullies his career or reputation he leaves every accomplishment he achieved up for question. True fans are a passionate but forg...

Fernando Vargas – One Final Shot

There has always been something compellingly frustrating about Fernando Vargas. He inhabits all of the qualities a true fight fan requires, skills, guts and a winning, albeit, thuggish attitude. His short resume is only short because he leapt into...

The Greatest Knockout Of The Last 25 Years

All things being subjective in the world of sports the knockout, quick and clean, ranks high up among the most thrilling moments in athletic competition. And when a spine tingling one-punch knockout happens between two fighters at the highest level...

Calvin Brock – Contender or Pretender?

As fight fans continue to search in vain for one man to emerge from the heavyweight muck, American Calvin Brock is beginning to look like a viable candidate for the throne. The problem with Brock is that he is not a murderous punching machine like M...

Winky Wright – Finally Getting Respect

There is a very famous line of dialogue uttered by Joe Frazier to an up-and-coming Marvin Hagler that boxing insiders and fans are familiar with. It’s a line Hagler could have repeated to Ronald “Winky” Wright years later after Marvelous Marvin had...

Cotto vs. Malignaggi – Boxing’s Future

If Paulie Malignaggi can really box as well as he says he can then WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto doesn’t stand a chance in their up coming pay per view fight at Madison Square Garden. Of course Malignaggi is a braggart whose knoc...

Fight Is Off – Castillo Fails Again

The much anticipated rubber match between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was called off when Castillo once again failed to make the lightweight limit. Castillo weighed in initially at 140 pounds even. A collective groan went up from the asse...

Castillo vs. Corrales – Here We Go Again

“I just hope his new nutritionist isn’t named Dunkin Hines.” So says Diego Corrales about his nemesis Jose Luis Castillo, as both fighters prepare for their rubber match this weekend. He was alluding to their notorious rematch in which Castillo cam...

Bobby Chacon – Triumph and Tragedy

There are two things that come to mind when one turns their attention to boxer Bobby Chacon – excitement and tragedy. Bobby, now a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, was also a lovable character. He’s the type of guy you might see at...

Ricky Hatton Invades Beantown

It’s been nearly 25 years since a world title bout was held at the old Boston Garden. In June of 1981 Marvelous Marvin Hagler knocked out Vito Antuofermo in the fifth round to successfully defend his middleweight crown. That same year the Bosto...