Boxing
Francis Ngannou needs time to heal from the tragic loss of his child
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaFrancis Ngannou’s fighting future remains uncertain following the tragic death of his youthful son earlier this month.
On May 1, 37-year-old Ngannou posted the following on social media: “My baby boy, my partner and my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now he lies lifeless…Toh, he’ll be gone soon, and yet he’s gone.
With him I was the best version of myself, and now I have no idea who I am. Life is so unfair that it hits us where it hurts the most.
“How do you deal with something like this? How to live with it?”
In just two professional boxing bouts in five months, the former UFC heavyweight champion made his mark on boxing, pushing Tyson Fury to the end – and defeating the Gypsy King – in his debut, then being stopped in two rounds by Anthony Joshua . February.
However, the Las Vegas-based Cameroonian will understandably take some time to consider what he wants to do in the future as he comes to terms with his tragic loss.
“We’ll see. As you know, he had a tragic situation with the death of his 18-month-old son just a month ago, so we’re not thinking about fighting at all right now,” said his coach Dewey Cooper. “My heart and spirit are still with him. He is in the process of healing from the most tragic thing that can happen to a parent. There is nothing in this world, and I mean nothing in this world, more tragic than the death of your child. You know the natural order of things. We should warn our children, so when something so devastating happens, I’m not sure I’ll be able to recover from something so traumatic.
“He takes it day by day. I wasn’t even thinking about the fight or what he would do in terms of fighting. My heart is only with him. I only wish him healing and being able to live with it somehow. It’s bad. And this is very depressed.
“He lost his son Kobe and we will see what happens in the future.”
Cooper, who coaches Team Combat League, is also working with Mike Tyson ahead of the heavyweight icon’s upcoming event with Jake Paul. However, Cooper has remained in contact with Ngannou over the past few weeks.
“We’re talking,” Cooper added. “I would like to see him do whatever his heart desires. He had a long and challenging path to a career in mixed martial arts, he had two good boxing fights. What Francis has done is unprecedented. His first fight in boxing, a lineal champion fight, I told everyone what it would be like, and then he fought Anthony Joshua, so in his first two fights he fought two of the top three heavyweights of that era.
“Whatever he wants to do, of course we support him. If it were completely up to me, of course I would like to see him box again. He has the ability and talent to do so. The Joshua fight didn’t go our way, it just wasn’t our night tonight, but you saw the skill he has against Fury and there are definitely some heavyweights he could beat.”
The heavyweight division has been in the spotlight since Oleksandr Usyk became undisputed champion against Fury last weekend. Usyk has petitioned the IBF to retain the title ahead of the fight between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois, which many believe could mean a fight for the vacant belt.
“Before Francis fought Joshua, I was really rooting for Fury [to beat Usyk] because I felt we would beat Joshua and we wanted the rematch with Fury anyway,” Cooper said. “But after we got beat by Anthony Joshua, I knew Usyk was going to win that fight. It was wishful thinking, hoping that Fury would win, but I knew Usyk would be able to win this fight.
“The idea is that cruiserweights fight at a faster pace. If you’re a cruiserweight who can take over the heavyweight division, you have an advantage. You’re a bit faster, you’re more mobile, you have a better gas tank, and you have better skill sets most of the time. Usyk showed it. He had some problems at the beginning, but it was challenging for him to maintain this pace. He is incredibly acute with his boxing and pace, and Usyk’s skills have started to shine. I knew Usyk would win this fight. I didn’t know if he would be able to stop Fury, but I thought he would win by a close decision like he did.
BoxingScene sends Francis Ngannou our condolences and best wishes.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
8 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
1 day 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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