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13 Days Until Ortiz vs. Bohachuk: Junior Middleweight Fight on DAZN

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Image: 13 Days Until Ortiz vs. Bohachuk: Junior Middleweight Fight on DAZN

In 13 days, Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face interim WBC junior middleweight champion Serhiy Bohachuk on August 10 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Both fighters will headline the card, which will begin at 5:00 PM ET and will be broadcast live on DAZN.

Bohachuk’s impressive growth

It’s challenging to predict the winner of the Ortiz-Bohachuk fight, as both have looked impressive of behind schedule. Bohachuk, 29, came away with the better victory, defeating Brian Mendoza to win the interim WBC junior middleweight title on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Vergil, on the other hand, has had several victories over experienced fighters Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme, who are far from top-class players.

Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) appears certain to defeat Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) and then move on to fight for a world title against the winner of the fight between WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence.

“I wanted to fight him because I wanted to face the best. That’s my goal. I want to be the best,” said Serhiy Bohachuk Golden Boy Boxing on why he wanted to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. on August 10th.

If Bohachuk’s goal is to gain popularity quickly, a fight with Vergil Ortiz is the best option. If he can get a win over Ortiz Jr., especially if he knocks him out or dominates him, he will gain the attention of fans.

“I’ve sparred with him before, but sparring is sparring. You learn. Fighting is different. I know the guy. He’s sturdy, intelligent and has a good punch,” Bohachuk said of Ortiz Jr. “He’s got good conditioning. He’s a good fighter, but I’m better.”

Bohachuk doesn’t say when he sparred with Vergil. It won’t matter much if the sparring was years ago, which it looks like it was. Ortiz Jr. is now 26 and has only fought twice in the past two years due to health issues. He’s changed a lot and gotten older without fighting high-level opponents.

Bohachuk’s game plan

“I want to show my fans a good fight. I’m not interested in simple boxers,” Bohachuk said. “It’s not compelling for me and for people. My goal is to show my friends and people a good fight. I think it will be the best fight of the year, because I know Vergil. He’s sturdy and I’m sturdy. It’s not a fight. It’s a war in the ring.”

Bohachuk is lucky to get this fight because a lot of fighters would want to avoid him after what he did to Brian Mendoza. If he wins against Ortiz, it would be great if Bohachuk could continue to get compelling fights, but it is unlikely to happen.

“I knew his style before, but he’s changed. He’s more skilled,” Bohachuk said of Vergil Jr. “Now he understands that he has to be 100% ready for this fight. I’m sturdy too. Last time I sparred with him, I was in good shape, but now I have to be better because he knows me. He’s changed. I think he can be faster for this fight. There won’t be more powerful punches. He’ll be smarter,” Bohachuk said.

I don’t think Vergil Jr. has changed. He’s just gotten bigger now that he’s fighting at 154 because he’s not killing himself to make weight since he’s no longer fighting at 147. He should have moved up to 154 a long time ago because he was way too massive for welterweight.

You can understand why Vergil Jr. stayed at welterweight for so long, because that’s where the money fights were. He wanted to fight Terence Crawford, Errol Spence and Shawn Porter. Unfortunately, health issues prevented him from staying hearty long enough to fight any of those fights.

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Boxing

The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).

The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”

Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00

“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”

Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.

“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.

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George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.

Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.

The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.

Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.

The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.

“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.

“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.

“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”

Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.

“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].

Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.

“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.

Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.

“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.

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Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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Mike Tyson comeback black

One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.

WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.

Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.

“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.

“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.

“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.

He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”

Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.

Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.

Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.

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