J’Leon Love looks for a fresh start on ShoBox: The New Generation

J’Leon Love looks for a fresh start on ShoBox: The New Generation
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 27, 2013

Though he has already recorded one win in the books since dealing with a suspension for using a banned diuretic prior to his May fight against Gabriel Rosado, super middleweight J’Leon Love looks at 2014 as an opportunity to start fresh.

Love (16-0, 1 NC, 9 knockouts) meets lightly regarded Vladine Biosse (15-2, 7 KOs) in tonight’s 10-round main event at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y. The bout tops a Mayweather Promotions tripleheader edition of Showtime's ShoBox: The New Generation and Love sees the fight as a step towards securing a world title later in the year.

“I’m looking to graduate from a prospect to a contender in the super middleweight division,” Love told RingTV.com in a phone interview on Thursday.

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Love opens up about his suspension, setback

Love opens up about his suspension, setback
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
July 18, 2013


Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas, middleweight contender J'Leon Love was in attendance at the Mayweather Boxing Club while his stablemates get ready for Friday's card at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

For the first time, Love discussed at length his suspension stemming from the diuretic he tested positive for following his close decision victory over Gabriel Rosado. The fight took place on the May pay-per-view undercard to promotional boss Floyd Mayweather's lopsided decision win over Robert Guerrero.

Prior to the fight, Love suffered a family tragedy, as his older brother Gerald was killed in a shooting in Love's native Detroit. The incident occurred less than two months before Love was set to make the biggest step up in his career.

"My brother was left with nine kids, and now, I've taken them up as though they were my own," shared Love. "I am the one in the family making the big money, so I'm going to make sure they are taken care of now."

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Rosado tells Love “careful what you wish for”

Rosado tells Love “careful what you wish for”
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 2, 2013


It isn't often that a fight between an unbeaten but largely untested fighter and an opponent who has six losses is looked at as perhaps the most compelling fight on a pay-per-view undercard.

But Gabriel Rosado's scheduled 10-round middleweight bout with prospect J'Leon Love on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero is a crossroads bout that is anticipated by most hardcore fans. Rosado is coming off a hard-fought TKO loss to WBA titleholder Gennady Golovkin that was televised on HBO in January while Love is looking to cement himself as a bona-fide contender in the middleweight division.

This isn't new territory for Rosado. A tough luck fighter early in his career who was brought in as “the opponent” on more than a handful of occasions, Rosado has blossomed into an extremely mature 27 year old. While nobody likes to lose, Rosado has learned something from each of his six losses and he hopes to teach his undefeated 25-year-old opponent his first lesson.

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Love, Rosado nearly come to blows

Love, Rosado nearly come to blows
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 1, 2013


LAS VEGAS – On Tuesday afternoon, fighters from Saturday's big pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas made their “grand arrivals” to the host hotel. For two undercard fighters, the spectacle of the event elevated their competitive spirit to animosity, as J'Leon Love and Gabriel Rosado nearly came to blows when the two met face to face.

Rosado, an experienced former title challenger, was brought on stage first and waited patiently as nearly the entire roster of Floyd Mayweather's promotional company were brought to the stage. Love, an undefeated prospect who fights Rosado on Saturday, made his way last, and as soon as the Michigan native got on stage he began jawing at Rosado.

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Smith finally on the right side of boxing politics

Smith finally on the right side of boxing politics
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 23, 2013

My first contribution to RingTV.com.


At 34 years of age, longtime contender and sometime gatekeeper Ishe Smith has finally found himself on the right side of boxing politics.

For years, Smith was often cast as a B-side in his most meaningful fights, meaning the deck was often stacked against him. However, in his 14th year as a professional fighter, the Las Vegas native has an opportunity to earn a major world title as he meets IBF junior middleweight beltholder Cornelius Bundrage in the main event of a Showtime Championship Boxing telecast from Detroit that was originally headlined by Devon Alexander against Kell Brook. That fight was postponed when Alexander suffered an injury.

For Smith, Saturday marks an opportunity to make history. Despite the Sweet Science's rich connection to the city of Las Vegas, no homegrown talent has ever held any sort of major title, an interesting anomaly.

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