Boxing
Bradley Criticizes Stevenson’s Decision to Reject Top Rank Offer
Published
5 months agoon
By
J. HumzaBoxing analyst Tim Bradley believes Shakur Stevenson made a mistake by not accepting a contract extension offer from Top Rank worth $15 million for five fights with a guaranteed $3 million per fight instead of taking advantage of the free agent market.
Hope for a lucrative deal with Turki Alalshikh
Shakur may have turned down the $15 million offer because he hoped Turki Alalshikh would give him a fortune for the fight and wouldn’t mind if he fought in a lifeless way.
If that were to happen, it would be the perfect solution for Shakur, as he wouldn’t have to worry about entertaining fans and would be able to fight the only way he knows how, using an amateur points-scoring style that he hasn’t changed since turning pro in 2017.
This style is incompatible with the professional world, where fighters are expected to throw punches and provide entertainment to sell tickets and PPVs.
Bradley believes it was a good deal and adds that WBC lightweight world champion Shakur would have made more than $3 million for fights with Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Shakur may be confident that if he signs with PBC, they will secure him a fight with Tank Davis, a gold mine with a huge payday, likely significantly more than the $15 million Top Rank was offering.
Unrealistic expectations from PBC and Matchroom
Stevenson may not get the same offer from PBC or Matchroom Boxing, as those companies surely know he will likely never be a PPV star or ticket seller.
If Shakur gets the fight he wants with Tank Davis, or gets knocked out, he’ll run around the ring for 12 rounds like he did with Edwin De Los Santos, and lose by decision. There will be no gift decision for Shakur with Tank if he fights like he did with De Los Santos.
If Shakur believes PBC can deliver Tank to him, it would make sense for him to sign with them. Of course, PBC can’t force Tank Davis to fight Shakur if they feel he doesn’t want to fight him and has to endure him running away for twelve rounds.
Shakur will fight Tank more defensively than he did last Saturday night against weaker boxer Artem Harutyunyan in Newark, Novel Jersey.
Generous Top Rank offer
“Should he have taken the $15 million?” [offer from Top Rank] deal? Definitely. He should have taken that $15 million deal. There’s no question about it,” Tim Bradley said Probox TV approximately $15 million Top Rank offered Shakur Stevenson to re-sign to a five-fight contract worth $3 million per fight, but he turned it down.
Shakur could crawl back to Top Rank if they don’t offer him a better or equal deal from other promoters or Turka. That would be bad for Shakur, but it’s a real possibility. If you’re PBC or Matchroom, do you really want to sign Shakur after the way he’s looked lately? I wouldn’t. A lot of electrifying fighters might not be as good defensively, but they entertain the fans.
“You have to think about it. It’s a minimum of $3 million. It doesn’t matter who he fights. If he fights Tank Davis, of course he’ll make more money,” Bradley said. “If he fights Lomachenko, of course he’ll make more money. That’s the base price.”
Shakur can forget about Lomachenko because he will probably never agree to fight him unless he is paid a huge amount of money. If he loses to Gervonta Davis in November, he will be useless to Shakur.
“People were leaving that arena. If he was going to get the knockout, people would have been there to see how it would unfold. He missed that opportunity, and the reason he missed it is because he was arguing with his grandfather in the corner,” Bradley said of Shakur not listening to his grandfather, who wanted him to fight aggressively in the final moments.
Stevenson didn’t knock out Artem Harutyunyan last weekend, and it wouldn’t have mattered if he had fought with more aggression. That wasn’t going to happen.
“His grandfather was telling him, ‘You have to hit the gas, and I have to do it now.’ He didn’t listen. The window was there, and he didn’t stop,” Bradley said.
The importance of marketability
“As far as his marketability, it’s going to be tough for him,” Bradley said of Shakur. “I don’t know where he goes from here. I don’t know if he goes with Terence Crawford. Turki Alalshikh, or does he invest in Shakur Stevenson?”
If Turki signs Shakur, who will he match him up with? Will he fight regularly, or will he do crossover fights where he finds a popular MMA fighter and has him fight Shakur in a circus-level fight?
“He wants more money. I understand. I’m talking about marketability. If you don’t get people into the seats, you’re going to have a difficult time asking for as much money as this newborn man is asking for. $3 million is a lot of money,” Bradley said.
Based on Shakur’s performance, he is not worth a $15 million contract and is not worth more than more spectacular, younger fighters like Abdullah Mason.
“You don’t see many guys making $3 million,” Bradley said.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
1 day 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
2 days 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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