"THE GREATEST"
MUHAMMAD ALI

Angelo Dundee 1921 - 2012 R.I.P

Angelo Dundee infamous for being the trainer of Muhammad Ali and an integral part in Muhammad's greatest successes has sadly passed away at the grand old age of 90.

Angelo was  an incredible motivator and master of fight strategies.

We had the privilege of meeting him on several occasions where it became apparent that he loved to talk of his experiences and of his boxing life and also his fighters.  He never tired of repeating the stories to the multitude of fans no matter how many times he was asked to relay them.

Dundee will be long remembered as the master in the corner and has always been held in the highest esteem as an ambassador for boxing and a figure of integrity.

Despite his failing health he still managed to attend Ali's 70th birthday celebrations last month which proved once again his strong will and determination which rubbed off on his proteges.

Angelo was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994 after a career  spanning six decades, training 15 world champions, including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Carmen Basilio and Jose Napoles.

Despite this it was his relationship with Ali, who he helped become the first man to win the heavyweight title three times, for which he is best remembered.  The pair developed a unique and winning relationship and travelled to far flung destinations in order to establish Ali's title crown as The Greatest.

Angelo was a magnificent and unique person who we will sadly miss and he will be remembered in the boxing almanacs until the end of time.

Angelo Dundee 1921 - 2012 R.I.P

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As 2011 draws to a close it’s time to reflect on the past 12 months and the highs and lows of our beloved sport.  In May Manny Pacquiao defeated Shane Mosley by  unanimous decision in a contest where each contestant touched gloves more often as a mark of respect rather than throw punches. Manny  returned back to the ring in November and claimed another controversial  3rd fight points decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez.  Critics around the World claimed that Marquez was again robbed of the decision.

Floyd "Money" Mayweather teased and made us wait until September before putting on a dazzling performance against  Victor Ortiz scoring a 4th round knockout over the not so “Vicious” Ortiz.

On home shores in April Khan reigned "King" once more when he defeated Ireland's hero Paul McCloskey via 6th round technical decision.  Khan once more showed off his skills when he beat "Super" Zab Judah in July with a 5th round knockout, Khan will step back in to the ring in December to face Lamont Peterson. We would like to wish Khan the very best of luck, along with Carl Froch who will be facing Andre Ward in the final of the Super Six  Super-Middleweight Tournament later this month. 

In the pouring rain in July David Haye tempted thousands of fans to Germany threatening to take the Heavyweight crown away from Wladimir Klitschko but his performance turned out to be as damp as the weather. David Haye announced his retirement soon after this poor performance.

Sadness loomed over the boxing World in May when we said a sad goodbye to our beloved Henry Cooper he was much loved and will be remembered with great honour and pride.  Again in November another star lit up the heavens when one of the greatest fighters of all time Joe Frazier  lost his biggest fight against cancer, he will be remembered in the boxing almanacs forever.

2012 has promises yet again of the long awaited bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao. The MGM has been booked for the 5th May by Mayweather and we can be sure whoever he faces disappointment will not follow.
The excitement of the 2012 London Olympics is knocking on the door which again will unearth future World champions look out for winning medal performances from Michael Hunter (USA) and Anthony Joshua (GB).

In the new year we hope to share images of a private collectors museum project we have contributed too which showcases a formidable and comprehensive heavyweight collection which we are sure you will appreciate in all its glory.

We would like to wish all our customers and visitors new & old to the site a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  Thank you for your purchases and continued support and we hope you continue to visit our site in the future.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Vinny & Kate

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Joe Frazier 12/01/1944 - 07/11/2011 R.I.P Keep on Smokin'

 

Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion who handed Muhammad Ali his first defeat yet had to live forever in his rival's shadow, died Monday 7/11/11 after a brief final fight with liver cancer, he was 67.


Frazier, who took on Ali in three momentous fights in the 1970s including the epic 'Thrilla in Manila' had been under home hospice care after being diagnosed with the cancer just weeks ago, a family friend said, until then, Frazier had been doing regular autograph appearances, including one in Las Vegas in September.


Smokin' Joe was small by heavyweight standards, yet a ferocious fighter who smothered his opponents with punches, including a devastating left hook he used to end many of his fights early. It was the left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden in 1971 to seal a win in the so-called 'Fight of the Century.'


Though he beat Ali in that fight, Frazier lost the final two and for many years was bitter about the role Ali forced him to play as his foil.


"I am who I am, and yes, I whipped Ali all three times," Frazier told the New York Times in 2006.


"Ali always said I would be nothing without him," Frazier said. "But who would he have been without me?"


More recently, he said he had forgiven Ali for repeatedly taunting him.


While the 'Fight of the Century' is celebrated in boxing lore, Ali and Frazier put on an even better show in their third fight, held in a sweltering arena in Manila as part of Ali's world tour of fights in 1975. Nearly blinded by Ali's punches, Frazier still wanted to go out for the 15th round of the fight but was held back by trainer Eddie Futch in a bout Ali would later say was the closest thing to death he could imagine.


Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier defended it successfully four times before George Foreman knocked him down six times in the first two rounds to take the title from him in 1973. Frazier would never be heavyweight champion again.


 

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Many years ago on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas, we visited the Golden Gloves gym which has since closed down.  We went in anticipation of gaining a signed glove from Mike Tyson who was training there at this time. A young confident boxer approached us and said “mister would you like me to sign a glove I’m going to be a World champion”. 

 

Little did we know that the cocky youngster was Floyd Mayweather Jr. who even at that tender young age showed skills which would one day make him a five weight World champion.

 

From that day onwards we have followed Floyd’s career intensely and watched in admiration as he has been crowned a pound-4-pound great.  Also, a warm friendship has developed between us and on our last visit to support Floyd against Ortiz, Floyd kindly invited us to have tea at the Mayweather mansion. Floyd extended warmth and kindness during our visit which ended after 5 hours with a chauffer driven Rolls Royce ride back to our hotel.

There are many special qualities about Floyd Mayweather Jr which unfortunately slip under the radar and many are blinkered and only wish to believe the exaggerated negative hype.

It is undisputed fact that Floyd’s defence is his main asset. It would be an understatement though, if anybody says Floyd is just a defensive fighter. Floyd’s incredible ‘shell-like’ defence system is key to his illustrious career. He is unbeaten in forty-two bouts, and still the freshest of all the competitive top boxers there are today because he is hardly hit his entire career.

Floyd is in his mid-thirties and has seemed to mature with age. He is getting stronger, and more aggressive. However, Floyd’s aggression is ‘controlled aggression’ rather than the usual uneducated, pure hustling or physical bullying reminiscent of Manny Pacquiao, the likes of Ricky Hatton and Victor Ortiz. In the Mosley fight, we saw Floyd stand right in front of Mosley and backed him up just as he promised he would. Against Ortiz, Floyd did exactly the same, took Victor out of his game by being the aggressor and cut the ring in an amazing manner.

Floyd’s style stands out because he is simply hard to hit, and if he is not hit, he cannot get hurt. His posture allows him to do stuff no other boxer does today. His power emanates deep from his hips and is transmitted through his torso to the hands in the same manner a vehicles will transmit power right from the pistons, through the gear system into the driving shaft. He is simply amazing. He gives an impression that he is firing a jab, but what comes out is a thunder-bolt of a power packed straight right, the main ingredient for destruction of any left handed fighter. He is agile, very calculating in everything he does. He does not get distracted while he is in the ring, his concentration is unmatched to say the least.

Floyd will roll with the punches and his ‘patented’ shoulder roll allows him to do several things. He removes the ‘sting’ in the punches using his shoulder while it allows him to have the leverage to set a surprise attack right from the defensive posture. While the shoulder protects his head, his left elbow and right arm are in position to thwart any body attack. Incredible…isn’t it? You can only be a hater not to notice and appreciate these skills. Floyd no longer uses his legs that much, at least as seen from the Mosley and Ortiz and even Marquez fights. He uses intellect and his upper body so well that he conserves energy and paces himself well for the latter and more energy demanding rounds.

Floyd’s ability to adjust to his opponent’s style is just another important aspect. He reads the situation and without waiting for the corner to do something, he adjusts. He is also sitting-on his shots more and more, delivering more and more power. If the situation gets tough, Floyd is capable of fighting on the ‘back-foot’. He is a superb counter puncher and takes advantage of his opponent’s mistakes and punishes them mercilessly. You will also notice that Floyd creates that extra reach through unmatched posturing and can make it difficult for anybody to fight from the inside. He has of late developed into a superb in-fighter as well. Floyd can take a punch when hit flash, though rare, we now all know that he has a solid jaw.

There is no single welterweight with all these qualities and Floyd will destroy anybody who stands in his way.

Whilst we were in Vegas we were also fortunate to meet Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Erik Morales along with many more who signed several items. We will be posting them on the site over the next few weeks for you all to view them.
 
Regards
 
CHAMPS

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MGM Grand, Las Vegas

 

On 17th September 2011 Floyd Mayweather Jr will make his first appearance in the ring in over a year to claim back the WBC welterweight title against Victor Ortiz.

Mayweather has said that by facing Ortiz he will be silencing critics in his opinion by fighting the best opponent available at this time.

Ortiz, current champion is a talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto and Mayweather has claimed that he is the sort of opponent who is hungry for a win against the Worlds best pound-for-pound and will not be willing to give up his belt easily.

Mayweather sat ringside when Ortiz won the title on points and watched intently as both fighters were sent to the canvas twice and has said that he is now looking forward to challenging the rising star.

Ortiz has his work cut out facing Mayweather, Ortiz will have to try and find a way to land his shots without being picked apart and block left hooks and straight right hands.  Ortiz has a good chin, but he’s going to need to have a great chin on September 17th to come out with the win. He’s also going to need speed of foot and accuracy in order to cut off the ring on Mayweather, in order to win Ortiz will have to get in close and Floyd is not going to make that easy to do.

 We will be flying out to Vegas on 7th September and returning on the 22nd September, we will be hoping to bring a collection of memorabilia back for you all to view on the site.  As always we will endeavour to answer any emails or queries whilst we are away and any purchases will be posted out immediately on our return back to the UK.

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As followers of latest news you will know that we like to put our own stamp on the events of the fight, but due to being grossly disappointed like many other fight fans, we thought Dan (US fight correspondent) after fight report epitomises our thoughts entirely (see Dan’s full fight report below).  However, as always we do have a collection of memorabilia which we will post on the site over the next few days.

Thanks for your continued support.

 

CHAMPS

 

REPORT:

"Haye's talk was cheap, his hands idle

Like the other nine guys who Wladimir Klitschko has defended the heavyweight title against, David Haye promised he would end the champion's reign.

In fact, the mouthy Haye talked and jabbered and howled and smack-talked for much of the past three years, promising to do all sorts of naughty things to Klitschko.

David Haye did more falling to the canvas than fighting against Wladimir Klitschko  on Saturday.

Promised to leave him twitching on the ring mat, the victim of a crushing knockout.  Promised the most brutal execution ever.

Promised a lot of things.

Delivered nothing.

All that Haye -- one of the biggest heavyweight frauds of all time -- did was bark.  Like a dog. Because he sure didn't fight much, as Klitschko -- as dominant as ever  at age 35 -- picked him apart for the lopsided decision on Saturday in rainy  Hamburg, Germany.

It was not a scintillating fight. Far from it. But Klitschko did what he usually does: outbox, outjab, outmuscle and outthink his opponent en route to total domination.

The only thing Klitschko didn't do was score the knockout -- only the second time in this, his second reign, that the opponent has heard the final bell.

Haye made it to the bell because he took none of the chances he promised he would.  Instead, he fought scared.

As Klitschko said afterward, "I wish I could have knocked him out impressively. He was scared to fight me. I was expecting more of a challenge in the ring, more aggression. He was super-defensive, like all of them."

After all of the garbage and trash Haye talked, he never came close to backing it up. He said repeatedly that he would retire after the fight. It looked more to me like he retired during the first round, because he didn't really fight.

After the fight, I was thinking about what excuse Haye would come up with. I figured  he'd say he had a hand injury. I was close: He claimed to have a broken toe on his right foot that didn't allow him to push off and land his so-called "Hayemaker" right hand.

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Every fighter has injuries. Few come to the ring without bumps and bruises from a tough training camp. I'm sure Klitschko was also dinged up.

But given the way Haye has always handled himself, I am not surprised at all that he had an alibi at the ready, so much so that he came to his interview in the ring after the fight with HBO's legendary Larry Merchant with his sock already off so that the camera could get a good look at his allegedly injured digit.

It looked OK to me, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was injured. If so, take the loss like a man and shut up about it.

There is no Toe-gate here. Haye was simply outclassed by a supreme champion who still has not been challenged to any serious degree since 2005.

Against Haye, Klitschko won 118-108, 117-109 and 116-110. and Haye, who continually flopped to the ground, frankly  to buy a point deduction from referee Geno Rodriguez, complaining that  Klitschko shoved him to the mat, finally got one in the seventh round. It was a bogus deduction, but Rodriguez fell for it.

But even Rodriguez realized he was being conned, so when Haye flopped again in the 11th round, the ref ruled it a knockdown. It's not like Klitschko needed the extra point. He was cruising.

He landed 134 of 509 punches (26 percent), according to CompuBox. Haye's output was downright pathetic: just 72 of an anemic 290 blows (26 percent).

You can't win if you don't throw. And Haye didn't throw.

I find that funny because, all along, Haye has called Klitschko a boring fighter.  And yet on this night, the biggest of his career, Haye was the one who disgraced himself by making it boring, by running away, by not engaging, by not doing much of anything.

Well, except for making excuses about a hurt toe.

So it was Klitschko with another dominant win, a 10th title defence (one more than the prime Mike Tyson during his first run) and now a fourth sanctioning body title in the family. Klitschko and brother Vitali now own all four major belts.

Three for Wladimir and one for Vitali, with no serious challengers on the horizon, with all due respect to Tomasz Adamek, who I don't give much of a chance against Vitali on Sept. 17. But I know he will at least leave it all in the ring unlike Haye.

Folks can say whatever they want about the Klitschko brothers, but they win and win and win. They dominate.

Some people want them out of boxing because they aren't the most exciting fighters. Fine. Go find somebody to beat them.

Lord knows, Haye sure talked like he would. Talked and talked and talked.

But his talk turned out not only to be cheap. It was worthless."

 

 

 

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On the 2nd July the heavyweight unification bout which has been 3 years in the making between David “Haymaker” Haye and Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko will finally come to fruition in Hamburg, Germany.  After a labyrinth of negotiations the super match will hopefully put an end to the bitter rivalry between the two which has ensued over the years.  Although David Haye is still in the honeymoon period of the heavyweight division he is no shrinking violet when it comes to the bigger and heavier opponent which he proved when he faced giant Nikolai Valuev.

This is a fight that many feel is too close to call, between 6'6" power "Steelhammer" Klitschko and the smaller ultimately quicker Haye, but as Haye has proved in the past he is capable of rocking the bigger opponent if he can slip through Klitschko's thudding jab to land his trademark overhand right on Wladmir's chin. 

 

Haye vs Klitschko will be a feast to attract many hungry fight fans across Britain.  Any fight fan who thrives on the nail biting excitement of a heavyweight bout should shout loud their support for their fellow countryman, because victory for Haye will rejuvenate boxing in the heavyweight division.

 We will be flying out to Hamburg on 29th June and returning on the 4th July, we will be hoping to bring a collection of memorabilia back for you all to view on the site.  As always we will endeavour to answer any emails or queries whilst we are away and any purchases will be posted out immediately on our return back to the UK.

 

Champs

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Sir Henry Cooper - Legendary British Icon R.I.P. 1934 - 2011

 

Sir Henry Cooper OBE died on 1st May 2011 aged 76. The former British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion fought 55 times and is revered for his knock down of Cassius Clay in 1963.

Cooper had been ill for some time and died at his son's house in Surrey, two days short of his 77th birthday.

London-born Cooper was at his peak during the 1960s and is best remembered for a defeat by Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, in a non-title fight at Wembley in 1963.

He famously sent Clay to the canvas near the end of the fourth round with his trademark left hook, known as "'Enry's 'Ammer", only for the American to earn more recovery time when trainer Angelo Dundee said Clay's glove was split. The incident is still a favourite topic of discussion for boxing fans to this day.

Cooper lost when the referee stopped the fight because of his cuts in the fifth round and he lost to Clay again in a world title fight at Arsenal's Highbury Stadium in London in 1966, again when cuts forced the referee to step in.

After an amateur career that included an appearance in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Henry and his twin brother George, who died last year, both turned professional in 1954.

He lost to Sweden's former world champion Ingemar Johansson in a European title fight and many of his early defeats were brought about by his susceptibility to cuts.

His two fights against Ali raised his profile, along with another defeat by former world champion Floyd Patterson in 1966, but Cooper's position in the heart of British sports fans was out of all proportion to his success in the ring.

His 55-fight professional career featured 14 defeats, he was never a world champion and retired in 1971 after another defeat, a somewhat controversial points verdict, by fellow Briton Joe Bugner.

However, Cooper's bravery and down-to-earth, avuncular personality ensured massive popularity during his boxing career and then as a TV pundit and commentator, game show panellist, after-dinner speaker and tireless charity fundraiser.

Twice voted Sports personality of the year, he was awarded an OBE in 1969 and knighted in 2000.

 
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Dear boxing fans
 
As 2011 hastens upon us its a good time to reflect on what has been a somewhat subdued year of boxing.  Unfortunately for all, the manifestation of the much awaited bout between the 2 biggest names in boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao never came to fruition though we will never really know the reason why.  Although disappointment was felt by all we still had tasty treats offered to us in the Floyd Mayweather v Shane Mosley bout and just recently Manny Pacquiao v Antonio Margarito who would have predicted such magnificent displays of the sweet science we can only live in hope that the 2 biggest names in boxing will come head to head next year (we can only dream).
 
On the home front we are left wondering if 2011 will be the year that David Haye faces one of the Klitschko brothers along with Manchester's John Murray finally getting a World title shot.
 
Also if Amir Khan comes through his bout against Marcos Maidana on 11th December he will surely stamp his mark on the World scene with the likes of Timothy Bradley & Devon Alexander being possible future opponents and don't be surprised if Golden Boy Promotions pulls off the unthinkable and brings Floyd Mayweather Jr over to the UK to face Khan at Wembley Stadium.
 
As always we would like to thank all our customers for your continued support and also thank visitors both new and old to the site. We endeavour to keep you all happy with our frequent updates. 
 
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very healthy and prosperous New Year.
 
CHAMPS

 

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Congratulations to Floyd Mayweather Jr who put on a magnificent flawless performance on Saturday 1st May, at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.  Amongst a star studded audience, Floyd even managed to match the magnificence and presence of the greatest of all time Muhammad Ali who applauded the stunning performance by Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

It soon became evident that Mosley was not only fighting speed, sublime skills and a defensive master but also GREATNESS. Apart from a slight glitch in the second round, which demonstrated both resilience and a sturdy chin not seen before in a Mayweather fight, Floyd picked off his opponent with impressive accuracy and speed.  Mayweather’s boasts of being the GREATEST fighter ever to lace on the gloves despite conscious dominance of Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali, maybe just maybe could become a reality when Floyd’s career is scrutinised and analysed and placed into the history of boxing’s cherished and enriched past.

All that remains now is for Floyd to complete a perfect unblemished resume by indulging in the bout the World wants to see against Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao.

Once again we were privileged to meet many boxing greats, Muhammad Ali, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Joe Calzaghe and many more, who signed several items for us.  We will be posting these items on the site over the next couple of weeks for you all to view.  We hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we enjoyed collecting them…….  

 

Best Wishes

 

CHAMPS

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The biggest fight of the year thus far takes place on  1st May, in Las Vegas, as Floyd Mayweather fights Shane Mosley. It is a rare match between two fighters who have been at or near the top of the pound-for-pound best list for the past decade. They are both still very viable and in great form. Boxing fans eagerly await this fight.

Floyd Mayweather is the favourite, a perk that comes with being undefeated over a career that spans nearly 14 years. The 33-year-old has bad hands, but is generally well preserved, having not been subjected to beatings and hard fights. Some might say this is due to careful matchmaking or perhaps it is just due to Mayweather’s brilliance. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Putting the questions surrounding the quality of recent Mayweather opponents aside, he is facing a top guy in this fight and deserves credit. Mosley is coming off a destructive knockout of fearsome Antonio Margarito. Shane looked renewed after some had begun to write him off. He battered Margarito at will, looking as good as ever in the process. Sure he is 39, but he has lived a Spartan lifestyle that allows him to still be a top fighter.

Floyd doesn’t have the losses Mosley has, but he might if he fought the same level of competition. Mosley’s resume reads like a who’s-who of boxing over the last 2 decades, highlighted by two wins over a prime Oscar De La Hoya. He lost twice each to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright and dropped a close decision to a then-undefeated Miguel Cotto. His win over Margarito, however, confirmed his stature at the top of the sport is still solid.

Mayweather could grow old overnight. Fighters don’t continue unabated forever. He will have had only one fight in 28 months by the time he climbs into the ring on 1st May. Mosley hasn’t been too active himself, as this is his first fight since beating Margarito in January of last year. Old pros like these shouldn’t have too much of a problem. Sometimes layoffs are good for aging fighters.

Mosley will be Mayweather’s toughest fight in quite a while. Mosley has great speed and can still hit extremely hard. He is probably the puncher in this fight. Mayweather is just so clever in the ring, knowing how to shade the conditions in his favor. He is a master of distance and a defensive whiz. After over a decade at  world-class level, he has yet to be in deep peril. His chin and fighting pride are also strong suits.

Icelandic volcano eruptions permitting we will be flying out to Vegas on 28th April and returning on the 7th May, we will be hoping to bring a collection of memorabilia back for you all to view on the site.  As always we will endeavour to answer any emails or queries whilst we are away and any purchaces will be posted out immediately on our return back to the UK. 

Best Wishes

CHAMPS

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Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao Pound 4 Pound king who dominated the 12-round duel against Joshua Clottey on 13th March at the stunning Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium, Pacquiao triumphed with an impressive display which further endorsed his status as the worlds top fighter whilst retaining his welterweight crown.

The Pacman kept his cool and didn’t exert more than was necessary he was strong until the end and threw over 1100 punches throughout the contest whilst the bigger, stronger Joshua Clottey hid behind his gloves from start to finish. Like a true champion Manny was unbeatable once again. In the after fight interview Manny expressed his desire once again to take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. who firmly advocates that he is the only Pound 4 Pound King of the ring this is certainly a mouth watering encounter none of us can wait for to happen.

These two fighters have notoriously become the good and bad guys throughout the boxing World which of course sells the fight but our trip dispelled such myths about Mayweather’s character, who once again showed only friendship, kindness and good humour whilst in our company.

In our opinion Floyd Mayweather Jr. certainly is a real gentleman and it is a shame when the Pound 4 Pound icon only gets into the news when he is either flashing his cash or having possessions repossessed, while his contributions to youth boxing programmes and other good deeds go largely unreported.

The Pacquiao v Clottey bout in Dallas (via Las Vegas) enabled us to obtain many signed photo's and gloves and other interesting artefacts which will be available to be viewed on our website shortly.

As always you can contact us with any questions or queries via our contact us page.

Please keep checking our new items category for our latest acquisitions.

Best wishes

Vinny & Kate

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Hello Boxing Fans

On 13th March, Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, Texas. As we all know the boxing World was hoping to see Pacquiao face Floyd Mayweather and fortunately for boxing fans this is an acceptable replacement. Clottey is a top welterweight and a tough fighter. It will be nice to see the sport take centre stage in a U.S. city other than Las Vegas and it will still be a huge event.

Manny is a sizable favourite in this fight and for good reason. His elevation into the welterweight ranks has seen him finish off his opponents with style and ease. De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto never looked like being winners in their fights against Pacquiao. Most people are not surprised that Manny has been able to succeed at welterweight, but it’s safe to say the manner in which he has blitzed through his competition has left fans stunned in admiration

 This year is probably the penultimate year in both men’s professional careers. Pacquiao is 31 and Clottey 32. They are both top of their class and hold the skills and knowledge but still have plenty of youth-like energy to carry it through.

Pacquiao a super-fast, concussive puncher, who moves swiftly and beautifully, rarely leaving himself in a vulnerable spot for too long and he has improved his right hand to the point where it is a formidable weapon in its own right, earning him the title of the best fighter in the sport.

We are fortunate enough to be in Dallas to watch this bout and we will as always hope to share our experiences with you on our return back to the UK which we will post on the site as soon as we can.  In the meantime can we take this opportunity again to thank all our valued customers and visitors to the site, we will as always endeavour to answer your emails whilst we are away and any purchases will be mailed out immediately upon our return on 15th March 2010.

Best Wishes

Vinny & Kate

 

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Hello Boxing Fans

 

2009 ended on a high with the nation getting behind David Haye in his epic battle against Russian giant Nikolai Valuev to win the WBA World heavyweight title and at long last giving UK and US boxing fans a heavyweight champion, with knockout power,  plus charisma and charm,  which has been long awaited. Amir Khan also proved more than a match for his opponents Marco Antonio Barrera, Andreas  Kotelnik and Dmitriy Salita making the World sit up and take notice of the lad from Bolton.

 

In 2009 Manny Pacquiao elevated himself in to the higher echelons of boxing folklore with breathtaking performances over  Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto after previously dismantling Oscar De La Hoya (this from a man who started his career at 106lbs).  This will now lead us to the fight of the century next year when Manny meets undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.  13th March.  Who will win? is a hard one to call…..

 

Ricky Hatton stepped away from the ropes and has made a successful start in his promoting career with a promising band of fighters, Matthew Macklin, Scott Quigg, Joe Murray, Mark Thompson and Martin Murray who under Ricky’s guidance could achieve great things .   We would like to take this opportunity to wish Ricky success in his new role.  Also 2010 should bring European success for Manchester lightweight John Murray.

 

We all hope that 2010 will bring the same excitement and success as the year that has passed and here at CHAMPS we hope that we can continue to share some of our own boxing experiences with you.

 

As always we would like to thank all our customers and visitors to our site and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a very prosperous and happy new year.

 

Best Wishes

 

Vinny & Kate

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Congratulations to champion Manny Pacquiao who, with a dazzling array of punches and pinpoint accuracy of piercing shots through Miguel Cotto's tightest defence left Cotto reeling helplessly and bewildered not knowing where and when the next bee stinging missiles would come from. 

Pacquaio menaced Cotto for most of the fight leaving Cotto reluctant to carry on and a frustrated Pacquiao banging his gloves together in eagerness to get the job done.

The referee put an end to Cotto's suffering with a 12th round stoppage making Pacquiao a 7 weight world champ and undisputed pound-for-pound king yet again.

We were privileged to witness this dazzling display and collect many interesting items of boxing memorabilia at the same time, including numerous Pacman signed pieces, along with WBA belt signed by Duran and Chavez  also items signed by fellow Brits Haye and Khan plus many more...

We will be posting these items on the site over the next few weeks for you all to share and enjoy.

Lets hope now that all our Christmas wishes come true and we have the ultimate New Year gift of a Pacquiao and Mayweather blockbuster sometime soon in 2010.

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Hello Boxing Fans
 
The not too distant memories of bonfires, sparkling firework displays and cooled embers are about to be revived on Saturday 14th November, when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto light their own touch-paper to put on their own dazzling red hot display at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.
 
This long awaited event will help soothe the wounds of recently lost boxing greats Arturo Gatti, Alexis Arguello and Darren Sutherland who epitomised what this exciting sport is all about, they will be sadly missed and may they all long be remembered. 
 
Although boxing pundits favour Manny Pacquiao to win, Miguel Cotto is the naturally bigger man and not as one dimensional as Manny's last opponent, Hatton thus posing more of a challenge. However, nobody can ignore Manny's speed, strengh and stamina if the fight goes into the latter rounds pacman would then most certainly have the upperhand, although Cotto's potent left hook could turn the tide in an instance in this much anticipated blockbuster.
 
The unpredictability of boxing is what makes it so exciting.  Will Manny keep his crown of the best pound-for-pounder? We can't wait to find out... Floyd Mayweather is also eagerly awaiting the outcome! 
 
As always we would like to thank all our customers and visitors to the site and will endeavour to answer your emails whilst we are in Vegas from (Wed 11th November) and any orders purchased will be despatched immediatley upon our return on (Fri 20th November).
 

 

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CONGRATULATIONS to Floyd Mayweather Jr on another epic victory over the weekend.  Floyd once again reaffirmed his position as undisputed pound-for-pound king.

Floyd reigned victorious after a stunning display of effervescent jabs and combinations out-witting the game Mexican warrior Marquez, who after a second round knockdown was only ever playing a catch-up game.  Boxing greats such as Thomas Hearns and Mike Tyson applauded as Floyd proved his technical brilliance once again.  

On November 11th this year Filipino legend Manny Pacquaio will stand face-to-face with Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto in what is expected to be another epic bout.  Everyone in the boxing fraternity is pre-empting a Pacquiao victory with the fight of the century taking place next year between Pacquiao vs Mayweather, bring it on……….

We would like to extend personal thanks for the warmth and hospitality shown to us by Roger and Floyd during our visit in Vegas as always Floyd imposed his generosity towards us and signed lots of items.  We also enjoyed meeting other greats such as Thomas Hearns, FernandoVargas, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricardo Lopez who took the time and grace to sign numerous items which we will post on the site over the next few weeks for you all to enjoy viewing.

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Hi Boxing Fans

THE RETURN OF MONEY MAYWEATHER!