Boxing
Andy Ruiz Not Concerned About Ring Rust Ahead of Fight With Jarrell Miller
Published
4 months agoon
By
J. HumzaAndy Ruiz Jr. isn’t worried about ring rust ahead of his Aug. 3 clash with Jarrell Miller at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Former unified heavyweight champion Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) has been out of the ring for nearly two years since his last fight with 43-year-old Luis Ortiz on Sept. 4, 2022.
Ruiz has struggled with inactivity since cashing in on his two fights with Anthony Joshua in 2019. He made a lot of money off those fights with AJ, and has only fought twice since then, defeating two 40-year-olds in Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz.
Now, Ruiz is fighting another older fighter, 36-year-old Jarrell Miller, after a long layoff, and he feels like his time away from the ring won’t affect him. Maybe not.
Whether Ruiz wants to admit it or not, his inactivity has become a pattern throughout his career over the past five years, and it’s clear he has no motivation or ambition to stay lively. Perhaps the only reason he’s returning now is because he’s been lured by a nice payday from His Excellency.
Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) lost a 10th-round knockout to Daniel Dubois on December 23. Other than that fight, he has yet to face a major heavyweight in his 15-year professional career.
Ruiz says he wants to get a win over Miller on the undercard of His Excellency Turki Alalshikha in Riyadh on Aug. 3, then fight in December. He wants to fight a massive enough name to move up the rankings and fight for a world title.
Some fans believe the 34-year-old Ruiz is aiming for another massive payday rather than a world title shot, which seems unlikely given how infrequently he has fought since 2019. Ruiz is pursuing a trilogy fight with Anthony Joshua.
If that happens, Ruiz could fill his bank account, which is already brimming with $10 million from his two fights with AJ. How much money Ruiz has left after five years is unclear. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was near bankruptcy. Hence his sudden burst of energy to return to the ring after another long layoff.
“That’s what I thought” [40-year-old] Chris Arreola. That’s what I thought. [43-year-old] Luis Ortiz, but I felt a little excited,” Andy Ruiz Jr. said. Fight Center TV whether he has concerns about his inactivity over the past five years, having only fought twice since 2019.
It’s pretty obvious that Ruiz’s lack of activity didn’t affect him in his last two fights against Arreola and Luis Ortiz. Those guys were in their 40s and nowhere near their prime, they were in their prime.
If Ruiz had fought a youthful, top heavyweight in his last two fights, he would have struggled. As it is, Ruiz had trouble beating Arreola and Ortiz. He was knocked down by Arreola and lost almost every round to Ortiz. He only won that fight because he knocked the 43-year-old down three times.
“Of course, when you’re busier, you’re sharper, but we’ve been training a lot,” Sid Ruiz said. “We’ve been practicing a lot with gloves. We’ve been sparring a lot. I feel like my speed and combinations are going to be there. [for the Jarrell Miller fight on August 3rd].”
Ruiz sounds like a cheater. You don’t stay in shape hitting the gloves when you’ve been out of the ring for two years. That’s not going to keep any fighter at the top of his game after 23 months of inactivity.
Ruiz can avoid the inactivity penalty in this fight because he is facing Jarrell Miller, who is nowhere near the top level. Against a good heavyweight, Ruiz’s years of inactivity could hurt him.
“We will achieve this victory. I am not too afraid of inaction [two-year layoff since last fight in 2022]. I’m ecstatic to be back in action. This is just the beginning. This is my peak form,” Ruiz said.
If Turki Alalshikh hadn’t lured Ruiz back with a good payday, he’d probably still be sitting idle because he doesn’t want to fight for money.
“He opens up a lot. I’m a really good counterpuncher. He comes forward,” Ruiz said of Jarrell Miller’s vulnerability on defense. “But that’s the plan, to get him out of there and move on to the next one. I want to win and hopefully fight in December.”
Ruiz is a powerhouse, and Miller could beat him in this fight with activity if he doesn’t get knocked down or knocked down multiple times. Ruiz doesn’t have the fuel to handle the improved endurance of a fit Jarrell Miller.
“He’s a massive guy, he throws a lot of bombs and he’s got his waiting,” Ruiz said of Miller. “I see a lot of flaws in him. He opens up a lot. I feel like my combinations, my speed, my timing, the counters that I throw, that’s going to make a difference in this fight,” Ruiz said.
Miller looked hazardous in the first six rounds with Dubois and would have outboxed him had he not faded in the second half of the fight. He fought well considering he entered the fight weighing 333 pounds and looking morbidly obese. Ruiz will have a huge problem with Miller if he is in better shape on Aug. 3, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he lost.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
21 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
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.
‘MIKE TYSON WON’T FIGHT EVER AGAIN!’ – Gareth A Davies
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