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The Beckett family’s roots in boxing still exist today

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I met promoter Mo Prior at a recent show and was interested to learn that his wife is related to Joe Beckett, the British heavyweight champion from 1919-1923. Regular readers may recall an article I wrote in January 2023 detailing Beckett’s fight and altercation with Tommy Burns in 1919. Unfortunately, he is best remembered for his two fights with Georges Carpentier (pictured below), one of which ended in a 15-second loss, but Joe was a solid heavyweight who usually provided thrills and excitement throughout his up-and-down career.

He was a character outside the ring as well, he was very fond of horse racing, or rather the gambling side of the sport, and when he retired from the ring he lived well, wisely investing his earnings from the ring. During World War I Joe was an aircraft mechanic in the Royal Flying Corps and as the newly crowned British heavyweight champion in 1919 he was considered as a potential opponent for Jack Dempsey, the world heavyweight champion. Two defeats to Carpentier and a painful knockout defeat at the hands of the American Frank Moran put an end to those hopes.

During my conversation with Mo it became clear that he did not know that Joe had a brother who was a boxer, who was not a bad fighter himself. George Beckett was a very capable middleweight boxer whose career spanned from 1907 to 1920. Both brothers came from Southampton, and in the Edwardian era that city was not known for providing opportunities for adolescent fighters. As a result George had to travel to London to make his debut. He did so in the austere surroundings of the National Sporting Club, at that time the heart and soul of British boxing and the most famed boxing venue in the world.

George entered the middleweight competition in October 1907 and won the event after winning five fights. In his first fight, George knocked out Patsy Cokely in a matter of seconds and then scored four more victories inside the distance, three by spotless knockout. The club’s regulars knew talent when they saw it and George was levelled in his first 10-round fight, at the same venue, three months later.

Unfortunately, he suffered a three-round defeat at the hands of a fellow sailor, Seaman Kelly of HMS Jupiter. He then beat Kelly twice in rematches and in 1909 won his first 15-round bout, also at the club. In 1910 he beat the Irishman Jim Maher in a 20-round bout at Wonderland and then repeated the feat in a rematch at The Dell, the former home of Southampton Football Club, and this victory really put George on the boxing map.

In 1911 George fought two British middleweight champions. Pat O’Keefe held the title three times between 1906 and 1919 and defeated Beckett in a 10-round bout at the NSC. Jack Harrison of Rushden held the title from 1912 to 1913 and defeated George at the NSC in a 15-round bout in December 1911, in which BN described as “The Great Competition.”

George was at the forefront of the British middleweight scene in the years leading up to World War I and in March 1913 he was matched up with Carpentier himself, six years before his famed brother had the misfortune of facing the brilliant Frenchman, but Carpentier injured his hand and the fight was cancelled. As with many other great contenders, the war significantly disrupted George’s boxing career and I can only find one fight involving him during this period.

While serving on the Western Front with the Army Service Corps, he won one back-of-the-line bout. His last two fights were after the war, both for the Hampshire heavyweight title against fellow countryman Albert Croucher. George lost the first bout, then won the rematch and retired as Hampshire champion. His career was less successful than that of his famed brother, but George Beckett was a credit to the sport.

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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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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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