Boxing
Final result: how Nick Ball became the king of the WBA world
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. Humza
In a fight widely considered to be the best fight of the night in Riyad. Nick Ball defeated Raymond Ford via split decision to win the WBA featherweight title.
Just three months after his world title meltdown, when his WBC title fight against Rey Vargas ended in a draw, the Liverpudlian roared through a bloody nose to defeat the great champion, making it a fight to remember. Here’s what it looked like, session by session.
Round 1
The ball lost 5 inches of height and Ford had a massive reach advantage. Ball likes to be called a “mini Tyson” and quickly lunged forward in an attempt to cut off the ring. He managed to pin Ford southpaw against the ropes and get through with some body shots. Ford fired off a few left shots, but Ball quickly got him into the ropes, firing hooks and drilling Ford with rights to the body.
Round 2
Ball dragged Ford to the ropes and landed hooks and uppercuts. They exchanged blows, both on target, but the ball landed more often. Ball fired off a series of punches, and at the end of the round, Ford was pinned to the ropes and threw a series of hooks.
Round 3
Ford boxed skillfully, dancing away from Ball’s attacks, countering him on his way inside while tying him up inside. Ball forced Ford to retreat with a series of punches, but Ford responded with several quick punches to the head and body. Ford had a cut under his right eye.
Round 4
Ball scored with several rights and Ford responded with a left to the body. Ball chased Ford to the ropes and fired back, landing a difficult left hook. Nadal released his hands and connected again with a left hook. Ford jabbed well, but Ball was able to get him into the ropes twice. Ford had a few shots on target, but was overworked. Would Ford be able to maintain the pace he did when winning the title against Kholmatov (pictured below)?
Round 5
Ford tried to stay in the center of the ring and fired off quick jabs and straight lefts, but Ball’s ferocious attacks put him against the ropes and under fire. Ford was too busy defending against Ball’s storm of punches to counterattack effectively. They traded punches towards the end of the round, and Ball defeated Ford again.
S
Round 6
The entertainment level was high as they traded shots early in the round. Ball forced Ford to the ropes and bombarded him with punches.
Round 7
Ford rose to his feet, skewering Ball’s guard with jabs and straight lefts. Ford pierced Ball’s guard with jabs and lefts, followed by uppercuts that left Ball bleeding badly from the nose. Ford took over the round, forcing Ball to retire and landing home strikes.
Round 8
Ford broke through Ball’s defense and then unleashed a straight left shot. He launched an attack, but Ford successfully aimed for Ball’s nose and blood poured from his nose. Ford danced around avoiding Ball’s rushes and countered him on the way inside. Frustrated, Ball threw Ford to the floor.
Round 9
Ball was starting to pay for the furious pace he had set and had apparently swallowed some blood. Ford again pierced Ball’s guard with straight shots, but Ball found the fire again and moved forward, throwing punches. Ford had a cut above his left eye and swelling there.
Round 10
Ford landed punches and left shots, and also escaped Ball’s counterattack attempts. Ball was pushing Ford down, but the interval between his rapid attacks was increasing and his punches were less violent. Ford was hitting Ball with punches and either dodging Ball’s punches or tying him up inside.
Round 11
The ball attacked difficult at the beginning of the round. Ford kept landing his jabs and rights. The ball was bleeding from the nose again. His mouth was wide open and he was going wild with his punches as Ford finished him off.
Round 12
Ford was firing jabs and backing up to avoid Ball’s charge. When Ball forced Ford to the ropes, a punch to the head sent Ball backward. Ball landed a nice combination and just kept throwing punches, and Ford threw less but with more accuracy. Ball charged at Ford, just throwing punches. Ford then made some space to strike and landed straight punches on a wild Ball, but for me Ball won the final round of a classic clash of styles.
.
Verdict: Ball became champion less than three months after he seemed unlucky, drawing only against WBC champion Rey Vargas in his fight for the WBC belt. His relentless aggression, high work rate and sheer determination won him the title. Ford (25) was defending the title for the first time, and with such close results, he thought he was the winner. He has the skills to work his way into another title shot and win the title.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
11 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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