Boxing
Zhilei Zhang surrenders and stops Deontay Wilder in the 5th round; Queensberry takes home the match room in the 5v5 tournament
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaZhilei Zhang enjoyed another “Massive Bang”.
The still current heavyweight contender may have sent Deontay Wilder into retirement with a fifth-round knockout victory. Zhang ended the fight with two right hooks, the latter of which knocked down the former WBC heavyweight world champion. Wilder beat the counter but was unable to continue in the main event Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
The official time for the fifth round of the DAZN pay-per-view main event was 1:51. Zhang delivered a tidy sweep for Queensberry, who defeated Matchroom 10-0 in the highly anticipated 5v5 tournament.
He also enjoyed immediate redemption after a disappointing defeat to Joseph Parker three months ago at the same stadium.
“When I lost to Joseph Parker, it was the right decision,” Zhang said through translator and longtime teammate Kurt Li. “He was a better man that night. I think I learned a lot from this fight. After I knocked out Joe Joyce twice, I was overconfident. I learned that I had to stay focused.”
The action was snail-paced out of the gate, although it was consistent with the scouting report. Zhang and Wilder statistically throw fewer punches than any other busy fighter in the sport. Both fighters landed their jabs as Wilder kept his right hand raised throughout the round. The opening never came as Zhang was prepared for Wilder’s money shot.
Zhang resumed his attack in the second round. He connected with a right uppercut, although Wilder kept his balance and landed a right uppercut of his own. The momentum quickly returned to Zhang as Wilder was at a point in his career where he could no longer pull the trigger.
Wilder was credited with just nine punches thrown in three rounds. The 38-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, tried to turn things around in the fourth round. Zhang continued to voice his comments, but gave little cause for concern.
At least not until the next round.
The irony of fate at the end of the knockout was that Wilder was successful at the beginning of the fifth round. He managed to connect with a right hand, which at least caught Zhang’s attention. The imitation attempt yielded modest results as Zhang regained control and took the lead.
Disaster came in the form of a right hook that knocked Wilder to his feet. He turned away helpless as Zhang entered to end the show. Another right hook from the 41-year-old southpaw sent Wilder to the canvas for his lone knockdown of the fight.
Referee Kieran McCann counted as Wilder got to his feet. He was unable to hang on enough to allow the action to resume as McCann waved his arms to end the fight.
The victory came three months after Zhang (27-2-1, 23 knockouts) suffered a defeat on March 8 in the same arena. Parker (35-3, 23 KO), No. 3 in The Ring’s heavyweight rankings, overcame two knockdowns to secure a majority decision victory.
Zhang entered the fight immediately after Joe Joyce’s series of knockouts. The defeat to Parker ended his short-lived WBO title reign, although he will immediately return to heavyweight after Saturday’s performance.
“I had to protect myself [Wilder’s] right hand,” Zhang noted. I blocked most of his punches. However, he still hit very strenuous.
The same cannot be said about Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KO).
Wilder has now lost four of his last five starts, including three defeats by knockout. He was stopped twice by Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO), the leading heavyweight fighter of The Ring. Their rematch in February 2020 ended Wilder’s five-year WBC title reign, after defending the belt ten times.
This very well served as the beginning of the end for one of the most powerful knockout artists in heavyweight history.
Wilder knocked down Fury twice but lost three times by eleventh-round knockout in October 2021’s epic trilogy. A year later, he bounced back with a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius, which remains his last career victory.
A fourteen-month period of inactivity preceded Wilder’s lopsided points loss to Parker on December 23 in Riyad. He dismissed it as a night off and insisted that Saturday would mark a return to glory. This promise also came with a vow to call it a career failure.
Meanwhile, recent life was breathed into Zhang’s career for those who thought the loss of Parker ended his overdue rise.
“The Massive Bang is still happening,” Zhang insisted.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
12 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
3 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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