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Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan make weight for ESPN Headliner in Newark

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Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan face each other after the weigh-in. Photo: Carlo Estonactoc

Shakur Stevenson’s last title fight in his hometown ended in a belt loss on the scales.

This time it may turn out that his current promoter will ultimately be left behind.

Stevenson weighed in at 134.1 pounds, well under the limit this time in the first defense of his WBC lightweight title. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist and three-time world titleholder will face Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs), who weighed in at 134.8 pounds.

Their scheduled 12-round fight will headline a quadrangle televised by ESPN from the Prudential Center in Stevenson’s hometown of Newark, Modern Jersey.

Stevenson (21-0, 10 knockouts), No. 4 at 135 according to The Ring, is fighting for the fourth time at the venue. His last fight came last April, when he stopped undefeated Shuichiro Yoshino (then 16-0) in the sixth round of their WBC title eliminator.

It was a night of redemption for Stevenson, who missed weight for his September 2022 win over Robson Conceicao. As a result, he was forced to vacate his RING, lineal, WBC and WBO junior lightweight titles.

Saturday marks the final fight under Stevenson’s promotional contract with Top Rank. The 27-year-old left-hander signed with the Las Vegas powerhouse after turning professional following the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He then reigned over three divisions. However, he had yet to experience the kind of blockbuster events enjoyed by his elite peers in and around the weight class.

Stevenson has spoken openly about wanting to test the free agent market after Saturday’s game.

Photo by Carlo Estonactoc

Harutyunyan has not fought since a 12-round loss to then-unbeaten Frank Martin on July 15 in Las Vegas. The Hamburg Armenian pushed Martin to his limits but faltered toward the end of his U.S. debut, forced to kneel in 12 rounds.t and in the final round, losing on all three score cards.

O’Shaquie Foster puts his WBC 130-pound title on the line against 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao.

Foster (22-2, 12 KOs), the Ring’s No. 2 junior lightweight, weighed 129.9 pounds for his second title defense. Brazilian Conceicao (18-2-1, 9 KOs), No. 9 at 130, weighed 129 ½ pounds for his fourth title shot.

2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis, No. 8 at 135, and veteran puncher Miguel Madueno meet in a 10-round lightweight fight. Davis (10-0, 7 KOs) — a three-division teammate of Terence “Bud” Crawford — weighed in at 134.8 pounds. Mexican Madueno (31-2, 28 KOs) weighed in at 134.7 pounds.

Keyshawn Davis and Miguel Madueno after weigh-ins. Photo: Carlo Estonactoc

Kicking off the broadcast, warm lightweight prospect Abdullah Mason will face Luis LeBron in a scheduled eight-round bout. Cleveland’s Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) weighed in at 134.8 pounds. Puerto Rico’s LeBron (20-5-1, 13 KOs) weighed in at 135.8 pounds.

Below are the weightings for the ESPN+ preliminary card.

10 rounds, junior lightweight
William Foster III (17-1, 11 KOs), Modern Haven, Connecticut, 130.4 lbs
Eridson Garcia (18-1, 12 KOs), Houston via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 130.7 lbs

4 rounds, featherweight
Keith Colon (pro debut, Newark), 125.3 pounds
Hunter Turbyfill (4-1, 1 KO), Memphis, Tennessee, 124.1 lbs

8 rounds, junior welterweight
Kelvin Davis (12-0, 7 KOs), Norfolk, Virginia, 142.9 lbs
Kevin Johnson (12-3, 8 KOs), Las Vegas, 142 ½ lbs

4 rounds, heavyweight
Ali Feliz (2-0, 2 KOs), Danbury, Conn., 219 ½ pounds
Robinson Perez (2-0, 0 KO), Southbridge, MA, 245.1 lbs

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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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