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A busy Jack Catterall can only be a good thing

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PERHAPS the only thing worse than the decision made after Jack Catterall’s super-lightweight title fight with Josh Taylor in Glasgow in 2022 was that Catterall would have had to opt for a return to the wild rather than receive an immediate and well-deserved rematch.

By wilderness I mean undiscovered, of course, and even that is relative. After all, Catterall managed two good wins over Darragh Foley and Jorge Linares between his ‘loss’ to Josh Taylor and his revenge two and a half years later. But given what happened, Catterall getting nominated to fight Taylor the first time out – taking the Scot’s world title in the process – it’s only natural that Catterall’s career has taken a leisurely turn so far.

That’s why the news of his next fight, set to take place on August 24 against Regis Prograis, has been so well-received and celebrated in some quarters. Coming up against Prograis just three months after beating Taylor in their comeback, suggests that Catterall, 29-1(13), has not only moved on from his great rival, but is now looking to finally build on the momentum of his recent defeat.

“That chapter with Josh is over. It’s a modern chapter,” he said. “I was in a great position before the first fight, number one with the WBO, but I was on the shelf for too long. I think we understand that the division is wide open now. There’s no direct shot at a world title, but I didn’t want to wait until the end of the year or early next year to get back in the ring, hoping to fight for a world title.

“I want the biggest fights. I think Regis said it; outside of the world titles, this is the biggest fight in the division. I had the momentum; you (Eddie Hearn) kept me going, which I’m grateful for. I’m in a great position and I don’t want to sit on the sidelines waiting for fights that might not happen. I’ve got to go in while I’ve got the momentum.”

Jack Catterall celebrates beating Josh Taylor in Leeds

Being busy is one thing, but making progress in the right direction is another. Here, against Prograis, Catterall faces the kind of opponent he will face at this stage of his 12-year professional career.

“Regis is a two-time world champion looking to become a third,” he said. “I know the winner of this fight is in a great position to go on and fight for a world title. This fight excites me; I’m excited. It’s not far from where I live (in Manchester), this Co-op Live arena. I’ve got everything to gain from this fight.

“I’ve been watching Regis for four or five years. I was at the Taylor fight in 2019. I watched him box in Dubai and I was in San Francisco in December, so I’ve seen him and I know what he’s all about. He’s a tough fighter and he deserves it – he’s a two-time world champion. I know exactly what’s in front of me and I’m working demanding.”

If Catterall is about building momentum and striking while the iron is heated, for Prograis it’s more about rediscovering momentum and finding out if he still has something to offer at this level. Prograis, now 35, was coming off a decision loss to Devin Haney, the then WBC super lightweight champion, and on that night he looked a shadow of his former self, albeit in the company of a world-class cameraman.

“We were supposed to fight a few years ago but it never happened, so here we are,” Prograis, 29-2 (24), said of Catterall. “I think it’s the best time. I definitely have to win. I have a goal now. Every time I win the belt, I just don’t care. Now I have a goal again. I want to be a three-time world champion and that’s the man I have to beat. Catterall is one of the biggest names in the division right now. The 140-pound division is filled now and this is the biggest fight they can have without putting the belt on the line. I’m ready to do it again in front of the crazy British fans.”

Regis Prograis hits the pads

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Boxing

Tyson Fury enters his rematch with Usyk in destruction mode

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TYSON Fury says he approaches fights no differently now than when he was a youthful, rising boxer. He is currently training for the biggest moment of his life, after losing his undefeated record to Oleksandr Usyk in a May thriller, and as he approaches the age of 40, the self-proclaimed “Gypsy King” believes that a change of plans will lead him to revenge on December 21.

“I’m going to go into destroy mode now. The last time I went to box with him, I was careful and boxed [the] head straight for it. Let’s talk about the facts,” Fury buzzed.

“Anyone can get caught, which we see in a lot of heavyweight fights. But this time I won’t decide on points. I’m going to knock the motherfucker out.

Taking time during camp to chat in the TNT Sports studio, Tyson agreed with boxing specialist Steve Bunce that he is now fit, in good shape and willing to perform where it counts, even though the fight is almost three months away.

“I’m ready to rock and roll. Look, I don’t need a 12-week camp. I’ve been boxing all my life. I’m ready to leave tonight, tomorrow, next weekend, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday. It doesn’t really matter. I can get into the ring with 30 stones and do 15 rounds.

“I’m a natural at it. All I need is five or six weeks of sparring, this time good sparring, where I don’t have a wound that’s going to open up. We were very worried about the cut at camp because that cut came with a huge payout. And the cut didn’t even matter in the fight.”

That same week, he admitted his corner team would likely remain unchanged for the return leg in Riyad. The 36-year-old Tyson comprehensively addressed the issue of the laceration that caused initial confusion in the Usyks’ first fight, and the recovery became a race against time.

“Just three months, 12 weeks earlier, I had a 16-inch cut on my left eye that needed to heal. I’m not sure how long it takes for the wound to heal. I mean, how long? Fury asked Anthony Crolla for answers.

“It took maybe seven or eight weeks for the wound to heal and then another six or seven weeks of training. But there is always a risk that it will open and then you will lose your large fortune, you know what I mean?

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Noel Mikaeljan-Ryan Rozicki’s WBC title fight postponed to December 7 in Sydney, Nova Scotia

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It wasn’t a great afternoon for #PurseBidHeads, but it was a great afternoon for Ryan Rozicki and his team.

The Ring has confirmed that an eleven-hour agreement has been reached regarding Rozicki’s rescheduled bout with WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaeljan. Their oft-delayed title fight is now set for December 7 at Center 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Don King Productions and Three Lions Promotions, promoters of Mikaeljan and Rozicki respectively, reached an agreement on Friday afternoon. Minutes before the scheduled bidding hearing, which was subsequently canceled, an agreement was reached.

Mikaejan (27-2, 12 knockouts) will now have to travel to Rozicki’s hometown for his first title defense.

“We managed to get a deal done with Don King minutes before the deadline, Three Lions Promotions president Daniel Otter told The Ring. “We are very excited to bring the world title to Canada.

“Ryan is ready to become a world champion and can’t wait to get in the ring.”

This enthusiasm could not be appreciated enough.

Mikaeljan-Rozicki has already been postponed four times. Problems have arisen since a cut Mikaeljan suffered during training camp wiped out their planned June 7 fight date.

The last attempt to reschedule occurred on September 28 during Don King’s performance at Casino Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida. However, the program was immediately canceled without any explanation from King’s office.

This resulted in insolvency in the eyes of the WBC, which re-ordered the title fight and sent the matter to a bidding hearing. For now, the sanctioning authority is satisfied with the latest result.

“It’s going to be an unbelievable fight,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told The Ring. “I am delighted that the WBC cruiserweight title fight will take place in the ring before the end of this year.”

The fight venue is a real home match for Rozicki (20-1, 19 KO).

The building’s primary residents are the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League.

Rozicki (20-1, 19 KO) also regularly appears at the stadium. He headlined or featured prominently in all six boxing events that took place at this location in the 21st century. The last time he scored a first-round knockout was Mario Aguilar (23-9, 19 KO) in December 2022.

Rozicki’s impressive record as he emerged as mandatory challenger to the WBC cruiserweight title was added to by four consecutive knockout victories. Several delays in the title fight have kept him out of the ring since he knocked out Olanrewaju Durodola (46-10, 41 KO) in the first round on December 3 last year in Sydney.

All told, the 29-year-old has won seven straight matches since losing to Oscar Rivas in October 2021. Their fierce fight was the inaugural fight for the WBC bridgeweight title.

His previously scheduled challenge for Mikaeljan’s title would be the first fight of Rozicki’s career outside Canada.

Now it’s Mikaeljan who goes on tour and fights in another promoter’s program.

Mikaeljan, rated No. 2 out of 200 by The Ring, won the belt with a third-round knockout of former champion Ilunga Makabu in his adopted hometown of Miami. The 33-year-old Armenian remains the only busy player in King’s current promotional lineup.

Rozicki is number 8 in the rankings of The Ring organization.

Follow @JakeNDaBox

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Tyson Fury says he needs to stop Oleksandr Usyk to win

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For Tyson Fury, there are parallels between his multi-fight rivalry with Deontay Wilder, which lasted from December 2018 to October 2021, and a potential multi-fight rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk.

He hopes that in the case of Usyk it will end in three fights, which will mean that Fury will win the rematch, which will take place on December 21 in Riyad. He also knows, after his experience with Wilder, that on December 21 he must do more than just box to victory and rely on the three judges in the ring to officially give him the victory.

Of course, in the match against Wilder, Fury drew a controversial draw the first time, which he later corrected with two stoppage victories. However, against Usyk in May, Fury did not resent the judges’ opinion (correct this time), but instead his own inability to dominate Usyk and prevent the fight from lasting so long. He doesn’t want to make the same mistake the second time. The second time around, he will rely on the momentum he experiences in the fight rather than taking it for granted.

“It’s no secret that I’m going there to knock him out because I don’t think that no matter what I do, I won’t get a decision,” said Fury, 34-1-1 (24). interview with Undisputed. “I don’t think I’ll get a boxing decision, so I’ll have to take my hand off the judges like I did back then in America. I have to get him out of there.

Eliminating Oleksandr Usyk is easier said than done. In his professional career spanning 22 fights and 11 years, the brilliant Ukrainian has never been close to defeat, let alone stopped. Moreover, his intelligence and counter-attacking ability are so great that the risk of stopping Usyk forever increases due to his ability to operate his opponent’s aggression and ambition against him. For this reason, and because of his durability, few opponents even considered the prospect of stopping Usyk, 22-0 (14). For this reason, Tyson Fury, despite his size and record in previous rematches, will need to deliver the performance of his life to become the first man to do so.

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