Boxing
Teofimo Lopez vs. Steve Claggett and Robeisy Ramirez Vs. Brandon Benitez June 29 on ESPN
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaWBO welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez will defend against No. 13 Steve Claggett (38-7-2, 26 KO) on June 29 live on ESPN at the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami, Florida. The event starts at 10:00 PM/7:00 PM PT on ESPN and ESPN
Teofima rejected these killers for Claggett: Raymond Muratalla, Elvis Rodriguez and Kenneth Sims Jr. Any confidence Teofimo once had in his career has evaporated since 2021 and he looks like a washed-out one-hit wonder.
You could argue that the 34-year-old Claggett is just a step above the journeyman level. With seven losses and no significant wins on his long, 15-year resume, Claggett is a indigent choice to challenge for a world title.
A confidence booster for Teofimo
This is another indigent fight for former unified lightweight champion Teofimo (20-1, 13 KO), who won a controversial 12-round unanimous decision over Jamain Ortiz last February in Las Vegas.
Teofimo clearly lost that fight, picking up his second controversial victory in his last three appearances, hurting his popularity even more than it already was after being defeated by George Kambosos Jr. in 2021.
Some might argue that Teofimo’s promoters at Top Rank are pitting him against Claggett to ensure he wins and artificially enhance his skyrocketing popularity.
By feeding Teofimo a lower-level fighter, his chances of winning and looking good are high, which will enhance the interest of casual boxing fans who are unaware that Claggett is not highly rated and is not the best at 140 at all.
“It’s like a Rocky Balboa story for Steve Claggett,” Teofimo said, essentially admitting that in his voluntary defense he was facing a hopeless ham and egg rather than one of the killers who could potentially dethrone him.
“There were no other fighters who were interested in fighting me and I felt like he would give not only me but also the fans a great fight to watch,” Teofimo said.
Teofimo isn’t being truthful when he says “no other fighters” are interested in fighting him. There are plenty of 140-pound contenders who would jump at the chance to fight Teofimo if he and his promoters at Top Rank were willing to fight them.
Fighters wanting to fight Teofimo:
Jamaine Ortiz
Keyshawn Davis
Richardson Hitchins
Gary Antuanne Russell
Arnold Barboza Jr.
Sandor Martin
Prograis, apparently
Elvis Rodriguez
George Kambosos Jr.
Jose Ramirez
Teofimo appears to be tired of losing to Kambosos three years ago and has failed to live up to the expectations fans and media had for him after his upset against the injured Vasily Lomachenko in 2020.
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Brandon Leon Benitez
Former WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-2, 8 KO) will face the little-known Brandon Leon Benitez (21-2, 9 KO) in a 10-round main support fight.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, Robeisy lost his WBO 126-pound title in his last fight against lanky Rafael Espinoza by a 12-round majority decision last December in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Espinoza’s height, reach and high output caused Robeisy huge problems. Robeisy knocked off Espinoza in fifth place, but let him off the hook by failing to finish.
Espinoza then dominated the later rounds and knocked down Robeisy in the 12th round with a barrage of shots. After this loss, it’s understandable why Top Rank is fitting Robeisy into a cushioned touch.
Still, he’s 30 years ancient, has lost twice in his brief five-year career, and can’t afford to fight tomato cans for long because he has more than enough experience as an amateur to bounce back from the best, provided he doesn’t face someone as elevated as Espinoza at 180 cm.
To beat a guy like this, Robeisy would have to concentrate more on his shots, as his amateur style of throwing single shots didn’t work against this high-volume effect.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
6 hours agoon
November 23, 2024In 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.
Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
23 hours agoon
November 23, 2024Former 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.
Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
2 days agoon
November 21, 2024One 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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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
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