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Giovanni Marquez finds “a lot of motivation” ahead of his upcoming match against Jason Limon

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by Francisco Salazar |

Giovanni Marquez is enjoying the benefits of ‘playing at home’. However, this does not mean that he takes these types of fights less seriously than others.

Marquez also hopes to continue on the path to contender status with his father.

The undefeated Marquez will face Jason Limon on Friday night at the Red Owl Boxing Arena in Marquez’s hometown of Houston, Texas. The eight-round fight, which will be fought in the maximum weight limit of 142 pounds, will be preceded by two quarterfinal fights of The OTX Tournament, a tournament of eight junior middleweight fighters, in which two fights were already decided in April.

All three fights will be broadcast live on DAZN (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

Marquez (9-0, 5 knockouts) has faced modest opposition so far early in his career. In his last fight on March 29, Marquez defeated former featherweight and junior lightweight Jayson Velez by unanimous decision. In his previous fight on December 1, Marquez defeated Joshua David Rivera by decision after six one-sided rounds.

Tomorrow, Marquez will be faced by Limon (8-1-1, 2 KO), who has won his last four fights since suffering his only defeat as a professional in October 2022. On Friday, Marquez will fight for the seventh time in or around Houston. and while he enjoys the benefits of fighting in his hometown, he will be in top shape.

“A lot of motivation for this fight,” Marquez told The Ring on Tuesday. “The motivation is high because I have many family members and friends who will be at the fight. I have to fight a great fight. Of course, OTX will be in my hometown. So that’s a bigger motivation in itself.

“My opponent has a solid track record. This will be an captivating matchup Houston vs. San Antonio (where Limon is from). There is a lot of emotion and, again, more motivation.

“I learned from my last fight (against Velez). There is always room for improvement. I had to be more patient. This fight (with Limon) is eight rounds, so I have to operate my jabs and distance more often. At times during my last fight, I was reckless. I need to relax and stay focused. True professionals do this.”

Marquez primarily trained in the Houston area, with the exception of three weeks in Las Vegas, where he sparred with WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson.

Marquez, 23, is coached by his father Raul, former junior middleweight world champion and 1992 U.S. Olympian Raul Marquez, who provided color commentary for Showtime and now does so for DAZN.

In a time when father-son relationships rarely work in boxing, especially when it comes to the coach-boxer animated, Marquez is grateful that his father is his coach. He also stated that it brought them closer both in and out of the ring.

“I’m really content to have my dad on my side,” said Marquez, whose manager is David McWater. “He is a former Olympian and a great champion. He understands every aspect of the (boxing) business as a coach and former fighter. One of the things about my father is that he is open. I listen to him and he listens to me.

“I think I have more self-confidence because when he tells me something, I listen, I put it into practice and then I see the result. We do talk a little about boxing outside the gym, but it’s more about other fights or his commentary on the fights he’s called for Showtime and now DAZN. I realized that there will always be boxing in our family. There’s no way around it. This is our life. That’s our father-son animated.”

Marquez hopes to achieve a lot this year. He hopes to prevail and cement his position with a dominant win on Friday night. He hopes to stay lively and is ready for whatever comes his way this year.

“My short-term goal is to win on (Friday). I hope to have another eight-round fight later this year, but I’m open to any opportunity that comes along. I will take advantage of these opportunities.

“I’m 23 years senior and I’m ready for anything.”

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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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