Dan Rafael chat wrap 11/14:
- Thinks Klitschko gets a KO this weekend.
- Doesn't think Lomachenko vs. Walters happens next. The plan is for that fight to happen, but it needs some marinating. Thinks next summer or fall might work.
- Does not know the amount of the sanctioning fees Pulev did not want to pay were, but for all 5 belts it would have been in the 6 figures.
- Believes that Hopkins can still compete at the highest level.
- Thinks that Ricardo Lopez would be more well known and more popular at the time if he wasn't with Don King, but rather Bob Arum. King buried Lopez on undercards. Points out what Arum did for other small fighters: Carbajal, Tapia, and Romero.
- Really likes Gilberto Ramirez and thinks that one day he will be a title holder.
- Juan Diaz probably fights early next year. Once Crawford vacates his title, Diaz very likely will be in position to fight for the belt.
- Thought the Klitschko stoppage vs. Brewer was completely fair.
- Negotiations for Canelo-Cotto are on track. HBO prefers May 2. ODH believes the purse should be 50/50. ODH's comment on where the fight will take place: if someone wants the fight, submit your best offer.
- Believes that both Canelo and Cotto are smart and know the market. They know what they each bring to the table and what else is out there. They won't blow making this fight.
- His top candidates for Fighter of the Year: Kovalev, Mayweather, Crawford (with a Beltran win), Cotto, and the winner of Pacquiao-Algieri.
- The winner of the Canelo-GGG will be obligated to fight GGG, who has the interim belt, in the next fight.
- If RJJ is committed to being a trainer thinks he could be really good. Will have a story on it next week after talking in length with RJJ in Atlantic City.
- The Venetian site money is huge and why Arum chooses to put fights in Macau. Does not know the exact amount, but there is a reason Arum sacrifices potential US PPV money to put on events in Macau.
- Kovalev likely fights in March. No word on opponents yet, but it could be his mandatory Mohammedi.
- Kirkland is working on his graduate thesis from the Winky Wright School of Boxing (ie, no news of him fighting).
- Alvarado-Rios 3 still on track for January. No site determined yet. Could be Denver or Vegas.
- Mikey Garcia could still get a fight with Pacquiao down the road at 140. Definitely hurt himself by only fighting once this year.
- His information is that Mayweather made a flat out offer of $40 million to Pacquiao with no upside.
- Still believes that any talk about making Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is to help promote Pacquiao's fight.
- Salka is on tonight - against an opponent he should be fighting, someone in his own weight class.
- ESPN 3 will have streaming coverage of Fury-Chisora 2.
- Kovalev vs. JCC? Kovalev would be the first person to stop JCC. Easy, easy work.
- Charlo-Andrade was announced, but never signed. Andrade is upset with his purse and is supposedly pulling out of the fight.
- HBO signed Klitschko, but is the secondary TV rights holder - RTL in Germany is first. Because of that, HBO doesn't have the same power to direct what opponents Klitschko should consider as it does with its other fighters.
- Best round he has ever seen in person: Corrales-Castillo 1, round 10.
- He has talked to Klitschko about Briggs and assures that their encounters are not staged (from Klitschko's side).
- Wasn't surprised that B Hop was not KO'd. He has one of the best chins.
- He has heard stories and rumors that GGG and Kovalev did spar and that GGG manhandled him.
- Believes that Klitschko will fight again in the US.
- If Beterbiev keeps winning, a fight vs. Kovalev is possible in the next couple of years.
- Joel Julio is planning a comeback with Main Events and may train with John David Jackson.
- Hopkins and Taylor are the only fighters to ever unify all 4 belts in one weight class.
- They say Stiverne-Wilder has been agreed to, but does not have a date or site yet. Believes Feb. is the most likely eta.
- Thinks Kovalev beats both Stevenson and Pascal.
- Prime Pavlik vs GGG? GGG. Pavlik could not have handled GGG's power.
- Braehmer is technically a mandatory for Kovalev. But he would need to leave Germany. Pascal is a possibility. Maybe Kessler.
- The Macklin-Helland fight is a WBC eliminator, but the next WBC mandatory belongs to GGG as he is an interim belt holder.
- ODH said he will put Sadam Ali on the fast track. His next fight will be in the first quarter of 2015 and likely at Barclays.
- Spence vs. Victor Ortiz? Spence by decapitation.
at the last several posts.
