Sherdog Boxing: The Weekly Wrap

GGG-Canelo Rematch Gets Special Belt, Referee, Judges and a Monster Undercard Featuring Munguia, Lemieux and Chocolatito

The Sept. 15 rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will be for a special WBC “Adolfo Lopez Mateos” belt. Mateos was the former president of Mexico from 1958 to 1964, and the belt was made using a special “pre-Hispanic technique of the Chiapanec loom, made with cotton threads in different shades of white to symbolize the armour of the ancient warriors.” But, in case a fancy belt has not convinced you to save up for the PPV, the fight has added a few huge names to its undercard.

We already knew Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzales would be featured against Moises Fuentes, but the card has also confirmed the matchups between David Lemieux and Spike O’Sullivan, as well as Jaime Munguia and Brandon Cook will be featured on the broadcast. Munguia is the biggest, and most relevant name on the undercard. The Mexican junior middleweight Titleist has vowed to show an improved defense in this fight, in an attempt to dispel the criticism that he is too easy to hit.

The GGG-Canelo Matchup has also gotten its judges and referee, a key point considering how many people disagreed with the official scorecards in the first matchup. All the judges are American, while the referee will be the highly respected Benjy Esteves Jr.

Tevin Farmer-James Tennyson Added to Billy Joe Sunders-Demetrius Andrade Undercard

After signing a multifight deal with Dibella Entertainment and Matchroom Boxing, Tevin Farmer has been added to the undercard of the Oct. 20 Billy Joe Saunders-Demetrius Andrade card in Boston. He will face Belfast’s James Tennyson.

World Boxing Super Series Announces Cruiserweight Tournament

The World Boxing Super Series announced that they are returning to the cruiserweight division, following Oleksandr Usyk’s winning of their last cruiserweight tournament. This was a bit of an odd choice, as it is inevitable that some of the losers of the last tournament will have to participate in this one. No fighters have been announced yet, however it is unlikely Usyk will return as he appears to be fighting Toy Bellew Nov. 10 in London.

IOC Considering Dropping Boxing From 2020 Olympics Due to Corruption

While corruption in Olympic boxing is nothing new (think of both Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. being cheated out of obvious victories) the corruption in Olympic boxing has gotten so bad that the IOC is considering keeping boxing out of the 2020 Olympics. Despite being one of the original six Olympic sports, so many judges and referees were sent home from Rio for suspicious activity, and so many decisions favored South Koreans during the Asian Games that the IOC demanded change. Apparently, the AIBA has not changed enough as following their appointment of a president who may have ties to organized crime, the IOC expressed grave concerns and declared “we retain our right to exclude boxing from Tokyo 2020."

Terence Crawford to Likely Fight Undefeated Jose Benavidez

Following his impressive stoppage of Jeff Horn, WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is likely to face undefeated Mexican Jose Benavidez Oct. 13 on ESPN. Benavidez is 27-0 with 18 knockouts, although he has fought most of his career at light welterweight. When asked about his opponent the always lively Crawford said, "He is alright, but we are going to see how good he is come fight night.”

One person Crawford actually is excited about is his six year old son Terence III who was named “Wrestler of the Year” for his age group by Wrestling USA Magazine. But, while the idea of combining an elite wrestler with Crawford’s boxing ability makes MMA fans salivate, this may not be the destined path for Terence III. Bud Crawford has spoken poorly of MMA in the past, saying athletes in that sport “don’t even get paid enough. They get paid less than us and they get broken bones, broken toes, and they go through a lot.”

Victor Ortiz to Fight John Molina Sept. 30

September 30th on FS1, John Molina and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz will meet in Ontario California. This is one of those fights that will not have huge title implications but could define both men’s careers. In the ring, Ortiz has never lived up to the hype that being on “Dancing With the Stars” or in “The Expendables” movie franchise gave him. Molina on the other hand has done well with not having much natural athletic talent but has never beaten a truly elite fighter. This fight should be exciting and may come to define the lasting legacy of both men.

Sor Rungvisai Keeps His Weight Down by Eating Less Rat

Thai WBC Super flyweight champion Sor Rungvisai recently revealed that his post victory meal, and the one he needs to avoid to keep his weight down while training, is grilled bandicoot rat and fried pigeon, matched with spicy red ant eggs and sticky rice. Celebrating with the “Apocalypse Now” R and R special wouldn’t be my way to go, but considering Rungvisai’s success in the ring, it must be working.

44-Year-Old Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley to Fight for the Fifth Time This Year

At 44 years old, onetime Floyd Mayweather victim Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley is scheduled to fight for the fifth time this year, Saturday night. Corley has fought huge names like Marcos Maidana, Miguel Cotto and Zab Judah, and while I worry about his long-term health I have to respect the grizzled veteran continuing to fight on. When asked about retirement, Corley indicated that as a former dressmaker, he would like to create his own clothing line.