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Red Heated Moses Itauma trusts Anthony Joshua and Ben Davison

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Working under Ben Davison led to promising Moses Itauma being “mentored” by Anthony Joshua.

The 19-year-old won his first fight under Davison’s leadership when, in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, under the card of Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk, he ruthlessly stopped the German Ilya Mezencev in the second round.

After recently training under the esteemed Alan Smith, Itauma recruited Davison as his full-time trainer, benefiting from the expertise of a figure who has prepared Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Fabio Wardley and more for high-profile fights.

Davison has overseen Fury’s remarkable comeback after almost three years of inactivity and most recently helped revitalize Joshua’s decorated career as the former world champion struggled to gain confidence and therefore impress.

He was also in Wardley’s corner for Wardley’s fight for the British and Commonwealth titles against Frazer Clarke, which perhaps made him a logical appointment for Itauma – widely regarded as Britain’s best hope at heavyweight.

Itauma has yet to spar with Joshua or Wardley, but he has already sought experience with Joshua, considered by most observers to be the third-best heavyweight in the world. Joshua also rose to the top in amateur boxing before becoming a professional world champion, and it was that prospect that caused Itauma, who is already 9-0, to seek his advice.

“I only recently joined his team,” he said. “While in the camp with Joshua; being with people like Pat and Luke [McCormack]; Yem Tshikeva. It’s all a blessing. This is good. There is a lot of experience in this gym.

“We have [me and Joshua] we crossed paths a few times and I asked him a few questions, just about life; about money; about experience. He let me know that I was grateful. I am grateful.

“I think I see him as a mentor in a way because I ask him a lot of questions. He is [generous with his time] – Very. It was very surprising. Even before I turned pro, me and Joshua talked for a good hour about whether I should go pro or stay amateur. It was crazy because he was the heavyweight champion of the world at the time; to take an hour out of his day to talk to me, I replied, “Yes – this guy is humble.”

“[He also told me] “Find yourself a good lawyer and invest your money in houses.” “Surprisingly, Tyson said the same thing.”

Davison could yet find himself in Joshua’s corner in a potential fight with Fury in the coming year.

“I tried a few coaches and I just liked him, so I thought, ‘Why not?’” Itauma continued. “Everything is calculated. Every inch; every move. Every movement of the muscle – it already knows it and is already telling you, “This is what you need to do.” Sometimes I ignore it to see if it will work my way, and I get kind of punished for it. ‘You know what? I trusted him.

“I was sparring one day and Ben kept saying, ‘He keeps going left,’ and then he said, ‘Every time he goes left, throw your chin,’ and then he’ll learn. I asked, “Isn’t it crazy that in order to learn in this game, you have to get knocked out?” I may not have been knocked out, but I felt a slight chill.

“I never really looked into it [from the perspective of his experience with other heavyweights]. I went to a lot of trainers who had never trained any heavyweights; I went there with an open book to see which coach was better; which workout would best suit my style and of course Ben was the man.

“I didn’t know much about [Mezencev] but Ben did a lot of work. “He likes to dance; likes to be a little stupid.”

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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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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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