Boxing
‘Fighting Words’ – How Ortiz-Bohachuk Went From Unplanned to Unmissable
Published
3 months agoon
They haven’t won major world titles yet. They’re not household names yet. But Saturday’s main event between Vergil Ortiz and Serhiy Bohachuk is highly anticipated, a fight that appeals to those who follow boxing closely.
This fight is not only not to be missed, but it is to be avoided.
And that was never the original plan.
This year could very well have ended in failure due to circumstances beyond their control – fights being canceled, opponents being replaced, and opportunities being wasted.
Instead, their years were potentially saved — by something potentially brutal.
The Ortiz-Bohachuk fight is reminiscent of another junior middleweight showdown that turned into a close fight, a fight that looked promising on paper but came true as soon as the bell rang.
James Kirkland and Alfredo Angulo met in 2011, when Kirkland was 29-1 (26 KOs) and Angulo was 20-1 (17 KOs). Kirkland had suffered a surprising one-round TKO to Nobuhiro Ishida earlier in the year, while Angulo was nearly two and a half years removed from a decision loss to Kermit Cintron.
Previous defeats did not diminish the value of the fight. As I wrote then“The expectations that had fueled more than three years of waiting were fulfilled within the first three minutes of action.”
Ortiz vs. Bohachuk was off the radar. Now the radar shows massive artillery on its way to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Saturday will be explosive.
“Fireworks guaranteed,” Bohachuk’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, said earlier this week. “Probably the best TV fight we’ve seen in a long time. There’s not going to be any snail-paced starts. We know Vergil comes out really swift. We know Bohachuk has the experience and the power. They want what’s in front of Bohachuk.” [the WBC’s interim junior middleweight world title]. On Saturday night you will see a unique fight.
And this is all, in a way, thanks to Keith Thurman.
Thurman was scheduled to face Tim Tszyu for the junior middleweight title in March, the main event of the first Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view show under PBC’s recent partnership with Amazon Prime Video.
But Thurman was injured in training camp and withdrew less than two weeks before the fight. The decision-makers turned to Sebastian Fundora, who was also scheduled to fight Bohachuk on the show, with the winner taking the vacant WBC world title.
Tszyu lost that night and suffered a terrible gash above his hairline due to an accidental head collision with Fundora’s elbow. This wound also played a major role in the rest of the story.
In the fight preceding the Tszyu-Fundor fight, Bohachuk knocked out Brian Mendoza to win by unanimous decision.
Bohachuk, however, did not win the WBC title. At least not the full title. Instead, Fundora went home with Tszyu’s WBO title, which was already in his possession, and the WBC belt was also part of his collection. Bohachuk instead received the WBC interim title, which is now on the line against Ortiz.
The interim title was supposed to guarantee Bohachuk a chance to fight the winner of Tszyu-Fundora. But right after the main event, Errol Spence entered the ring. It seemed Fundora would fight the former welterweight titleholder. Or maybe Fundora would meet the man who defeated Spence in 2023, undisputed 147-pound champion Terence Crawford.
Loeffler wasn’t particularly concerned about this.
“There are a lot of great lineups in the 154 category right now.” Loeffler told BoxingScene’s Kieran Mulvaney less than two weeks after Bohachuk defeated Mendoza. “It seems like this has become one of the hottest divisions in the sport, and Serhii is in a perfect position.”
It would seem that Bohachuk was snubbed by the WBC by awarding the belt in the main event rather than the originally planned undercard spot. However, that was not the case, according to Loeffler.
“WBC protected him” [Bohachuk]” the promoter told me earlier this week. “When they approved Fundora to fight Tszyu, they protected Serhiy by saying, ‘We’ll approve this fight if Bohachuk can fight for the interim title to protect his position.’ So he went from second place to winning the interim world title, which puts him right next to, as close to, the champion as you can get without actually being the world champion. We’re grateful for that. He put on a great show there. [at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas] and that has now secured him the leadership position.”
Ortiz, meanwhile, moved up to junior middleweight in early 2024. He has had two fights at just over the 154-pound limit, quickly defeating Frederick Lawson in January and Thomas Dulorme in April.
Days before the Ortiz vs. Dulorme fight, it was announced that Ortiz would face Tszyu on August 3, during Crawford’s fight with junior middleweight titleholder Israil Madrimov.
Ortiz vs. Tszyu was a elated news. There was anticipation. And it certainly seemed like the air had gone out of the balloon when it happened in delayed May. there was news that the match would not take placethat Tszyu’s injury, which he suffered in the Fundora fight, has not healed enough for him to participate in a full training camp.
Talks quickly began between Ortiz and Bohachuk’s teamsBefore June even ended, Ortiz vs. Bohachuk was announced. Instead of the August 3 fight, Ortiz was scheduled to fight a week later.
Too often when fights fall through, a boxer either faces a lower-ranked opponent to keep himself busy or simply doesn’t get a chance to compete on the day.
That’s not what happened here. There were a lot of quality changes. We went from Tszyu-Thurman to Tszyu-Fundora, and now Ortiz-Tszyu to Ortiz-Bohachuk.
“That wasn’t the original plan, but it all worked out because you have to give credit to both guys,” Loeffler said. “You have to give a little more credit to Bohachuk because he’s the champion and he has more to lose. Vergil is a guy who’s trying to win a title and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get a title shot. You have to give him credit for fighting a very unsafe opponent. They could be considered the two best guys in the division, if not the best fighters in the division. two best players, depending on what happens on Saturday night.”
It was a mutually beneficial decision. Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Ortiz, needed a viable opponent for the recent date, someone worthy of a main event on DAZN. And Bohachuk was looking for a comeback date after his win over Mendoza.
You can imagine that the decision-makers at the streaming company had an basic time dealing with this.
Ortiz and Bohachuk have entered the ring a combined 46 times as professionals. Only once has their fight reached the final bell. Ortiz is 21-0 (21 KOs). Bohachuk is 24-1 (23 KOs). Even that loss came via eighth-round TKO against Brandon Adams in 2021. The only fight Bohachuk has gone the distance in was his last, against Mendoza.
Ortiz and Bohachuk also have some history. They sparred in 2022 when Ortiz went to work with Manny Robles, who also trains Bohachuk. (Ortiz has since returned to work with Robert Garcia.)
“I think we [Ortiz and Bohachuk] “I have, I want to say, chemistry,” Ortiz said earlier this week. “Chemistry is a weird word, but you know, when two fighters don’t know each other, they have to get a feel for each other. I don’t think there’s going to be a feel-out round. We’re just going to pick up where we left off.”
That’s what fight fans are counting on.
There was also no emotion between Kirkland and Angulo. As I wrote at the time:
“That one round had two knockdowns, two tempo changes, 200 punches in three minutes. That’s how long it took Angulo and Kirkland to take that fantasy fight and turn it into reality. That one round made it basic to forgive how long it took them to get to that point.”
It didn’t take us long to get to Ortiz vs. Bohachuk. And it may not take long for Ortiz vs. Bohachuk to come to an end.
“Don’t think about going to the kitchen or the bathroom,” Robles said earlier this week. “Anything can happen.”
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Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
1 day 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.
Boxing
Heavyweight who knocked out Lewis to break Tyson’s record days after the feat
Published
3 days agoon
November 19, 2024Mike Tyson will miss his final record-breaking days after becoming the oldest former heavyweight champion to walk through the ring.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” reached an all-time high in Texas on Friday night, returning from a two-decade absence. However, Tyson gave the achievement five days later to former Lennox Lewis conqueror Oliver McCall.
On Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, the former WBC heavyweight champion returns to action and will face veteran Stacy Frazier in a fight scheduled for four rounds. At age 59, McCall will set the record for a sanctioned fight, beating Tyson by fourteen months.
McCall was born in April 1965, and Tyson’s mother gave birth to him in June 1966. “The Atomic Bull” hopes to score his 60th career victory tonight. He enters the fight with a record of 59-14, including 38 knockouts.
The Chicago native believes his continued activity over the last 19 years will be what separates his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday.
“I’m ready. I’ve been training here in Nashville for a few weeks now, but I’m always in shape,” McCall said. “It will be a completely different match than what the fans saw on Friday.
“I think being lively has a lot to do with it. I haven’t fought in five years because of the pandemic and a few things that didn’t work out.
“If you look at my record, since 2005 I have fought 25 times, of which I have won 19-6 times against quality fighters and won various regional titles.
McCall fights without financial motivation. He sees his fighting days approaching and is already planning his post-retirement plans.
“I want to do this for another year. This means I will be 40 years into my career as a professional boxer. Then I want to train and become a manager. I want to return the favor and assist the next generation of players try to become world champions.
“I came here to Nashville and contacted the manager who took me to the title [Country Box] promoter Jimmy Adams. I’m learning a lot about this aspect of the sport. I love the players here and everything that happens with Country Box.”
The Country Box 25 gala will also feature eight-round fights between super bantamweight Elon DeJesus (8-1-2, 7 KO) and Dominique Griffin (5-7-2, 2 KO), as well as super middleweight fighters. Sean Hemphill (16-2, 10 KO) fights Bryant McClain (6-5-2, 1 KO).
Airy heavyweight Isaac Carbonell (8-0, 5 KO) will face Antonio Louis Hernandez (7-19-4, 4 KO) in six-round fights; Joel Mutombo (6-0, 4 KO) vs. Kevin Torian (3-2, 3 KO) in a cruiserweight fight.
In a four-round fight, Ryan Zempoaltecatl (2-0, 1 KO) will face Raymond Chacon (10-64-1, 2 KO).
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