Dino Duva of Duva Boxing, promoter of undefeated heavyweight Mike Marrone (15-0, 12 KOs), has responded to the recent announcement that heavyweight JD “The Natural” Chapman (25-0, 22 KOs) has entered the WBC’s Top 15 world ratings.

 

“No disrespect to JD or his manager, Scott Hirsch, but we’ve wanted to match him with our Mike Marrone for a long time. Now that they’re both entering another level in their careers, it’s time to make this fight happen.”

 

Duva claims he’s eager to match the two young big men (Chapman is 23, Marrone is 21). “It’s a great fight between two undefeated heavies that is made for TV. And the winner will catapult himself onto the world stage. They’re both unproven at the next level, so let one of them start making a name for himself by beating the other, and the loser go back to the development phase a while longer.”

 

Marrone manager, hall of famer Lou Duva, says he’s all for making the fight happen, “It’s an exciting fight between two young prospects. The only thing I say is that the fight should be in a spot where people could see it and it means something. Not just throw them in. A manager or a promoter can throw a fighter in any fight, but if you put him in the right fights where, win or lose, people the next day will be saying ‘did you see that fight last night?’ That’s what we need in the heavyweight division right now.”

 

New Jersey-based Dino Duva says he’s hoping to hear from Hirsch regarding the fight that he feels makes sense to all involved. “Scott Hirsch has always told me he’d like to make the fight some day, and we’ve been waiting for awhile, so let’s get it on!”