Skip to main content

Van Heerden: Lujan was easy, bring on Khan or unification

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
South African ready to bring ‘The Heat’ to the top of the 140lb division

World welterweight champion Chris ‘The Heat’ Van Heerden put in an impressive performance last week in overwhelming four-time world title challenger Sebastian Lujan and now hopes to move on to face the elite of the division.

The 25 year-old, who has one debatable loss in 20 pro outings, is hoping to entice Amir Khan to a bout when the Briton moves up at the end of the year and is eager to fight outside his native country to enhance his growing reputation.

“My Win against Lujan wasn't my best performance, but definitely my biggest win in terms of opponent,” Van Heerden told World Boxing News.

“Lujan was easy to beat and now I am hoping to fight one of the other champions in a unification as it is any fighters dream to fight the superstars of boxing.

“A fight with Khan would be awesome, like I said it’s my dream to fight on the big stage. Hopefully I am very close to getting that shot I badly want.

“A top ten fighter overseas this year would be a dream for me.”

Van Heerden is now highly ranked in the 147lb divison and has his eye on the likes of the division's best in Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao. The southpaw watched in disbelief though as Pacquiao lost to Bradley in Las Vegas earlier this month and joined the many others in boxing in condemning the judging decision as the Filipino lost his WBO version.

“I honestly didn’t see Pacquiao lose that fight,” he added.

Popular posts from this blog

The Tragedy of Billy Collins Jr.

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  Collins after the fight Williams Ray Collins Jr. or Billy Collins Jr. as he became known, was born to a boxing father in Antioch, Tennessee in 1961. His father William Sr, once fought Welterweight Champion Curtis Cokes and wanted his boy to follow in his footsteps, so decided to train Billy himself. Collins Jr. turned pro in 1981, a welterweight, just like his father before him and impressively won his first 14 professional contests, 11 by knockout with eight inside the first three rounds. It was 1983 and Billy was matched up against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto on the undercard of Roberto Duran v Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden in a ten rounder. Resto wasn’t known for his punching power but Billy took a sustained beating for the full ten rounds, his face, badly damaged and his eyes were almost shut. After the fight, which Resto won on decision, Billy’s father shook Resto’s hand and noticed there wasn’t much padding in his gl...

The Ring Magazine P4P Top 10 compared to WBN's P4P Top 10

World Boxing News pound for pound Top 10 (25/11/2011) 1. Manny Pacquaio (53-3-2) WBO Welterweight champion and WBC light-middleweight champion 2. Nonito Donaire (26-1) WBC and WBO bantamweight champion 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0) 4. Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2) WBC and IBO light-heavyweight champion 5. Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1) WBA and WBO lightweight champion 6. Miguel Cotto (36-2-0) WBA "Super" light-middleweight champion 7. Sergio Martinez (47-2-2) 8. Wladimir Klitschko (55-3-0) WBO and IBF heavyweight champion 9. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (80-3-1) WBC flyweight champion 10. Chris John (44-0-2) WBA “super” world featherweight champion Do you agree or disagree? Have your say on the WBN Facebook wall at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Boxing-News/134654593225151

WBO #4 Orlando Cruz comes out as the first openly gay boxer in history

Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer from San Juan Puerto Rico (18-2-1, 9 KOs), former Olympian and currently ranked No. 4 Featherweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), is announcing today that he ”Is a proud gay man.” Cruz is the first openly gay man in boxing history.  “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself,” said Cruz.  “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career.  I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican.  I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.” Orlando Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11.  He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title's and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team.  Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments.  His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 ...