Norm Frauenheim
265 articles · The Arizona Republic
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Crawford, Postol fight to unify title in a fractured business
LAS VEGAS ? It?s a unification fight in a contentious game as divided as ever. Terence Crawford or Viktor Postol will walk out of the MGM Grand?s ring Saturday night with three…
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A Postol victory over Crawford could force Freddie Roach into an awkward corner
A Viktor Postol victory over Terence Crawford could lead to a Postol-Manny Pacquiao fight and force trainer Freddie Roach to choose between Postol and Pacquiao. It sounds awkward. But Roach, trainer for…
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Defiant Stand? Boxing needs one from Thurman-Porter
The news hasn?t been good. More like lousy. On the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin front, nothing is happening. On Wednesday, there was news ? more like non-news ? that they have agreed not…
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The Fight Goes On: Remembering Ali means legacy is more than a T-shirt
Legacy is for sale these days. Bottle it, slice it up into parcels, package it, label it with an acronym and sell, sell, sell it on caps and T-Shirts. Just dial 1-800-LEG-ENDS,…
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Donaire set for PPV fight in Philippines in quest to recapture 2012
Nonito Donaire remembers 2012 as though it is history about to repeat itself. Donaire fights for the first time in 2016 Saturday at home in the Philippines at Cebu City against Hungarian…
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GGG and Canelo have other fights, but all the talk is about them fighting each other
If boxing mimics politics ? as it so often does, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are still in the primary season. It moves onto another stage Saturday (HBO 10 pm ET/ 7…
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Pacquiao says he is retired after scoring one-sided decision over Bradley
LAS VEGAS ? If it was a farewell fight, it will be remembered for how Manny Pacquiao kept the good in bye. Pacquiao flashed some moments of his best days as a…
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Distractions are a sign that the old Pacquiao might be back
There was a time when Manny Pacquiao was known for distractions as much as his power. It?s hard to tell whether that power will ever be back. But there are signs that…
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Andre Ward begins another chapter in trying to turn Olympic gold into PPV gold
Nearly twelve years have come and gone since Andre Ward won America?s last Olympic gold medal in boxing, yet there?s a sense he?s still unknown among casual fans who know all about…
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Roy Jones Jr. stops Vyron Phillips in two, hints at continuing boxing
PHOENIX ? Roy Jones Jr. only needed one punch. Then, he said thanks to a sparse card at Celebrity Theatre and a pay-per-view audience that was wondering why it had spent $11.99…
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Differences: Bradley vows they will add up to a win without doubts in Pacquiao rematch
Timothy Bradley, a genuine personality in a business often defined by a feint, has a chance to eliminate any questions about an item on his record. He doesn?t have to correct it.…
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Roy Jones Jr. one step closer to unusual fight in Arizona
PHOENIX ? The Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission granted a promotional license Thursday to the digital network that plans to stage a pay-per-view show featuring Roy Jones Jr. against an undetermined…
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The Lundy List? Terence Crawford motivated to join a much bigger one
A pound-for-pound debate without a mention of Terence Crawford isn?t much of a conversation. At least, he doesn?t think so. Does Crawford belong? ?Of course,?? he said. ?I feel like I?m already…
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Roy Jones Jr. would have to fight a pro, not a ?random fan?
PHOENIX ? The Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission is scheduled to review a licensing application Thursday from a digital network seeking to stage a pay-per-view bout on March 20 featuring Roy…
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Farewell or Fight On? Pacquiao discovers that it?s hard to say goodbye
There is no good way to say goodbye to boxing. Manny Pacquiao is trying to. At campaign stops in New York and Los Angeles this week, he said repeatedly that his fight…
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Possibilities: Nicholas Walters just another one as Top Rank moves into a New Year
Top Rank?s December agenda has been about finding new stars, resurrecting a couple of old ones and creating business possibilities in 2016, the beginning of what could be the post-Manny Pacquiao era.…
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Hear The Buzz: It was off the scale for Cotto-Canelo
LAS VEGAS ? Measuring interest in a fight isn?t exactly a science. It?s more a haphazard adventure. Either a so-called buzz is there, or it isn?t. For a couple of days, media…
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Carbajal to Gonzalez: The flyweights continue to evolve
Roman Gonzalez and Michael Carbajal are separated by twenty years and linked by history. Saturday that link between two fighters from different generations will come to a rare crossroads, a coincidence, yet…
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A Kovalev smile means the Russian is ready to fight
LAS VEGAS ? It starts with a smile. It?s there because Sergey Kovalev genuinely enjoys what he does. Then again, so does a crocodile. That smile was perhaps a hint at what…
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International Language: Kovalev speaks one that everybody understands
Sergey Kovalev is new to English. It?s a second language for the light-heavyweight who grew up speaking Russian. Occasionally he?ll ask manager Egis Klimas to translate. Sometimes, a phrase or clich? will…