Boxing
Angel Ayala knocks out Dave Apolinario twice in 6th round to win IBF flyweight title
Published
4 months agoon
Angel Ayala (18-0, 8 knockouts) rises into the air to celebrate his sixth-round knockout of Dave Apolinario (20-1, 14 KOs) on Aug. 9 in Mexico City. Ayala won the vacant IBF flyweight title with a knockout victory.
Angel Ayala left no doubt about the biggest victory of his career.
The towering flyweight won the vacant IBF title by knocking out Dave Apolinario in the sixth round. Ayala knocked down the visiting Filipino twice in a disastrous sixth round, the latter knockdown scoring a full 10 points at 2:06 of the sixth round Friday at Restaurante Arroyo in Mexico City.
With the victory, the Ayala native (18-0, 8 knockouts) won the belt won earlier this year by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs).
It wasn’t all glossy sailing for the favorite. Apolinario (20-1, 14 KOs) made the most of his trip from General Santos City, Philippines, enjoying a powerful start. Ayala never lost his composure, but struggled at times against the cautious left-hander.
Body blows were key to the change of pace that Ayala enjoyed, and the attack was telling, as Apolinario’s performance in the fifth round suggested the fight was heading toward a point of no return.
Time was called when Apolinario managed to sell the referee a low blow midway through the fifth round. Ayala’s right hook appeared to land squarely on the middle, but was instead ruled a low blow. Ayala ignored it and continued to attack Apolinario’s middle.
Ayala emphatically closed the show in round six.
His ability to seamlessly transition from orthodox to left-handed and back again was effective. Apolinario was unable to stop the attack from either side and found himself on the canvas again. This time it was ruled a knockdown, although he managed to beat the count.
However, Apolanario was not yet completely secure.
Ayala sensed the end was near and made sure he wouldn’t let his undefeated opponent slip away from his hook—literally. A series of right hooks and brutal body shots broke Apolinario’s spirit and he sent him to his knees once again. This time it was a full ten, prompting celebrations on the other side of the ring.
This victory was far more satisfying for Ayala than any other, including the win that earned him a title shot.
A controversial 12-round decision over Felix Alvarado saw Ayala advance to a mandatory fight in both the WBC and IBF. Their October 14 fight in Merida, Mexico was closely contested, but Alvarado (41-4, 35 KOs) was initially declared the winner.
The celebrations didn’t last long as the former IBF 108-pound champion. The ring announcer immediately made a correction, revealing that Ayala had won with scores of 114-113 on all three cards.
Ayala’s team opted to go the IBF route because then-WBC champion Julio Cesar Martinez was already committed to defending his title. That led to a long wait, including the cancellation of plans for a spot on the Naoya Inoue-Luis Nery card on May 6 in Tokyo.
Zanfer Boxing, Ayala’s promoter, won the bidding war with a bid of $250,500 to secure promotional rights. Ayala and Apolinario earned $125,500 each as the IBF’s top two contenders.
That evening both boxers fought their first title fight.
Apolinario fought away from home for the fourth time in his last five fights, although the fight was a massive step up in the competition. While Ayala won a title eliminator, Apolinario earned a title shot by attrition. His effort was respectable enough that he expects to return to this stage.
For now, it’s Ayala who joins the division’s top brass. He entered the fight as the No. 4 flyweight in The Ring’s rankings, a status that will improve by at least one spot by the next time the rankings are updated.
It is the third flyweight victory of 2024, with the WBC title still vacant.
Seigo Yuri Akui, the No. 2 112-weight contender, dethroned long-reigning WBA champion Artem Dalakian (22-1, 15 KOs), the No. 2 112-weight contender, on Jan. 23 in Osaka, Japan. The victory came a month after Rodriguez unified the IBF and WBO titles with a ninth-round knockout of Bright Edwards (21-1, 4 KOs). However, the unified reign did not last long. The Ring No. 5-ranked contender relinquished both belts in behind schedule March to return to junior bantamweight, where he now holds The Ring and WBC titles.
Martinez relinquished his WBC title to fight at 115 pounds, albeit under questionable terms. As reported by The Ring, he tested positive for banned diuretics in his March 30 title defense against Angelino Cordova. Martinez has since been handed a nine-month retroactive suspension.
Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KO) and Cristofer Rosales (37-6, 22 KO) are set to fight for the vacant WBC title. No date has been set for the fight, which is set to take place in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5 KOs), No. 7 at 112, won the vacant WBO flyweight title just three weeks ago when the Los Angeles native knocked out Riku Kano (22-5-1, 11 KOs) in the third round on July 20 in Tokyo.
Akui and Ayala are both rated just below former IBF flyweight champion Bright Edwards (21-1, 4 KOs). The Ring’s No. 1-ranked flyweight returned to the top of the fight charts with a technical decision victory over Adrien Curiel on June 29 on the undercard of Rodriguez’s seventh-round knockout of Juan Francisco Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs).
The victory came at a price, as Edwards suffered a nasty gash. He is now the IBF’s top-ranked contender for his venerable title, although he is not the mandatory challenger.
Regardless, a matchup between Ayala and Edwards could be considered for the vacant Ring Championship, depending on the next rankings update.
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Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
5 hours 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
2 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.
Boxing
Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory
Published
2 days agoon
November 21, 2024Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
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