Fall Fight Season Preview

With most fights in the Spring season complete, No Sparring looks ahead to the Fall fight season. 

Floyd Mayweather VS Marcos Maidana II

It’s almost a forgone conclusion that the rematch will take place this September. Mayweather has no other options within his division who will be ready to fight and can bring in the kind of money that Maidana can.

Keith Thurman seems to be the only other viable option in terms of contention and availability. Having never fought the type of opponents Maidana or even Khan has, Thurman doesn’t bring the same experience or following 22that either of those two boxers have.

Amir Khan VS Thurman/Porter/Brook

Khan will be back in action in the late fall or early winter. He’ll be looking to earn a shot at Mayweather in May 2015 should Mayweather get by Maidana in their rematch.

Fighting the winner of the yet to be announced IBF title fight Shawn Porter VS Kell Brook would give Khan a chance at scoring the merit he’s looking for to prove his worth in the division. If his opponent is Brook, look for a massive fight in England that will net both boxers a handsome purse. Should Porter continue his excellence, Khan will be matched against a strong and hungry adversary.

Keith Thurman, in need of an opponent and hungry for a chance at the big time, has already begun calling out Khan. The fight is most intriguing for Thurman fans who are eager to see him prove his dominance of lesser opponents on a shaky chin like Khan’s. Thurman’s a dangerous fighter who swings big, yet offers little upside to Khan because of Thurman’s deficient resume. I love watching both boxers and would love to see this one too.

Manny Pacquiao VS Juan Manuel Marquez V/ Ruslan Provodnikov

Pacquiao has climbed back up the ladder and regained his WBO title. Juan Manuel Marquez is the standing #1 contender and has the option of fighting Pacquiao this fall. However, Marquez has flirted with retirement over the last couple of years and is turned off by the notion of fighting Pacquiao again. Should Marquez take another route, say against Brandon Rios, Pacquaio will likely face hard hitting Ruslan Provodnikov instead.

With the climate of boxing politics in constant flux, look for more opponents to be available this summer for both opponents if Golden Boy Promotions goes through a management change.

Adonis Stevenson VS Bernard Hopkins

Yes, I’m looking past Stevenson’s fight against Fonfara on May 31^st. Once Adonis rings his bell he’ll be in line for a unification bout against Bernard Hopkins. This fight should provide some fireworks for boxing fans. Locations in Vegas, Montreal, and Atlantic City have already been mentioned as possible landing spots for the mega event. There’s nothing more in boxing I love than a unification fight!

Also look for:

~Danny Garcia will be back in action this fall. His most lucrative options are IBF champ Lamont Peterson; a rematch with Lucas Matthysse; a rematch with Mauricio Herrera.

~Sergio Martinez/Miguel Cotto winner will look to capitalize on their big win with a follow up in the fall. If it’s Sergio, look for Gennady Golovkin to get the nod (may fight each other regardless). If Cotto prevails, a unification with Peter Quillin is an option as is Canelo Alvarez -who is tentavilely scheduled for a November return after his summer fight.

~The Heavyweight division is starting to register a pulse again. Klitschko, Stiverne, and the winner of Fury/Chisora will all be back in action this Fall. Don’t sleep on Deontay Wilder either. He’s Stiverne’s #1 challenger at the moment.

~Mikey Garcia and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are currently in contract disputes with Top Rank. If both have their situations handled this summer, they’ll be due for a fight. Both are fan favorites to watch and always bring us something to talk about aftewards. I can’t wait to see them both in action again.

~Rigondeaux should be a free agent after his summer fight. If he signs with Golden Boy he’ll have the chance to fight Leo Santa Cruz. I expect an exciting fall for the Jr. Featherweight division.

Preview by: www.nosparring.com

Action Time With Action Bronson

Adventure Time travels to the Southern states on the second leg of the Blue Chips II tour. We see Big Body Bes enjoying the Miami sunshine fresh on bail, Bronson crowd surf over the North Carolina crowd then go for a casual jog around the block mid performance in Tampa Bay.

Crate Diggers: Time Westwood's Vinyl Collection

A look at Tim Westwood's vinyl collection:

Looking For The Perfect Beat

Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force’s “Looking for the Perfect Beat” was a warning shot to those who thought they had the producers of “Planet Rock” pegged. Arthur Baker and John Robie spent six months crafting an 808 odyssey, pushing the drum machine to new heights. “Looking for the Perfect Beat” re-imagined what was possible, a sample-ready symphony that has spawned a thousand styles.

Fight Review: Marquez v Alvarado

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside

In a WBO welterweight eliminator, future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs) scored a clear twelve round unanimous decision over Mike Alvarado (34-3, 23 KOs) in front of 12,090 boxing fans on Saturday night as boxing made its triumphant return to the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California. Alvarado, respecting Marquez’ counter-punching skills, laying back and letting Marquez lead, thus allowing Marquez to dictate the pace and put the first eight rounds in the bank on all three judges’ cards. Marquez dropped Alvarado with a right hand at the end of round eight. Finally, in the true warrior fashion Alvardo is known for, he responded by flooring Marquez in round nine. Tremendously fierce exchanges followed for the rest of that round. Marquez pressed the action and did more in the tenth and went on to win by scores of 117-109, 117-109, 119-108. With the victory, Marquez becomes mandatory challenger to WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

Mix: Wet-Summer Pool Bash 5-18-2014

This past Sunday, we kicked off the summer of 2014 by enjoying a Sunday afternoon filled with cool vibes, food and drinks.  Sounds by Joey Avila, Killah Noez, Erik Mota, DJ Postage, Allen Fabolous, Crimson Twins & Eric Neutron.  Shout outs to "Raising the Bar" for providing the drinks all day long, & Bday shout outs to Allen Fabolous & Raymond Piñon.  Enjoy the vibes with the live recording of everyones mixes, peace.

(***Make the jump to check out footage of the event on Ustream***)

O.G.C. Demo Session

Before O.G.C's debut album, 'Da Storm,' they had an incredible tape, that in addition to what would come to be known as Fab 5's "Blah," included this unreleased gem, "Hard to the Core." As Top Dog is Steele's brother, the group members were frequent attendees at Smif n Wessun recording sessions. This home video shot by @druha in 1995 offered a small glimpse of the fun and wittiness the group would soon offer.

Footage: Busta Rhymes & Old Dirty Bastard-Rare Footage

Rare footage featuring Busta Rhymes & Old Dirty Bastard:

'F^(% That's Delicious' Trailer

A new series featuring none other than Action Bronson showing us some fine eats, check the trailer:

Crate Diggers: Mr. Scruff's Vinyl Collection

A look into Mr. Scruff's vinyl collection.  He also points out some great points about still djing with records: