Boxing
Will Devin Haney’s return lead to the emergence of “Boots” Ennis?
Published
3 months agoon
Is Devin Haney suffering from the three knockdowns he suffered in his memorable no-contest fight with a drug-treated Ryan Garcia, or is he the same, unchanged version of the former undisputed lightweight champion and undefeated 140-pound champion?
There is more curiosity about Haney’s career than who he will fight next.
But after vacating the WBC 140-pound belt, he says he’s ready to fight again after the events of April 20 in Brooklyn, when Garcia rode those three knockdowns to a decision victory that was ultimately overturned by a ruling by the Recent York State Athletic Commission, which also fined Garcia and suspended him for a year.
“Time to go back,” Haney wrote on X after watching Saturday’s WBC interim 154-pound title fight between Vergil Ortiz and Serhiy Bohachuk in Las Vegas. “Waiting for you in Riyadh,” wrote Saudi Arabia’s influential Turki Alalshikh.
On ProBox TV’s Top Stories, analysts Paulie Malignaggi and Chris Algieri discussed Haney’s return, the opportunities in a reshaped welterweight division, and how things have changed for 147-pound champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Ortiz Jr.
As for the money, the 25-year-old Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) clearly has his eye on it and is flirting with Alalshikh, who has three events scheduled in Saudi Arabia before February.
“We knew Devin Haney was going to come back and make the biggest business moves he could make,” Malignaggi said. “He got some unfair criticism for the Ryan Garcia fight… there’s going to be curiosity about Devin Haney.”
Haney turned down an offer to fight mandatory opponent Sandor Martin, which was won by Top Rank, and could move to the recent world of welterweight, where the belts will be held by Ennis, recent WBO champion Brian Norman Jr, Eimantas Stanionis – WBA – and Mario Barrios Jr – WBC – after former undisputed champion Terence Crawford moved up to junior middleweight.
“I wonder if Devin Haney has itchy fingers or if he sees how much money he can make [with Alalshikh]”, said Algieri. “You have to get in while the money lasts. You don’t know how long they’ll be there.”
Malignaggi said Haney proved he was used to big-money fights by stepping away from the belt and fighting Martin.
Whether he chooses welterweight or 140 pounds, “rumors and opinions” about “what he looks like” will fuel the intrigue surrounding Haney’s next fight, Malignaggi said.
Given that Haney needs a “little rebuild,” it’s not expected he’ll fight 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez, Algieri said.
If the decision is made to move up to welterweight, Haney will join a recent group of champions who are also looking to prove themselves.
“Some people may not have superstar potential, but guys like Barrios and Norman had moments of brilliance,” Malignaggi said. Algieri added: “There are a lot of good fights to be had if these guys come together.”
Just a few years ago, the welterweight division featured Crawford, three-belt holder Errol Spence Jr., two-belt holder Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, but all moved on.
Analysts say Crawford’s departure can be compared to Haney’s departure from the lightweight division; the void was quickly filled by talented recent champions such as Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Shakur Stevenson.
“It’s a transition phase – let’s see how it goes,” Algieri said. “We need a tournament [that Alalshikh is reportedly considering] “to create one king.”
The most expected candidate for the king is Ennis (32-0, 29 KO) from Philadelphia, but so far he has failed to find a worthy fight.
“Massive guys [Crawford and Errol Spence] we tiptoed around him and never let him into the club,” Malignaggi said. “He’s still developing with his potential.”
Ennis needs a breakthrough fight like Ortiz’s majority decision victory over Bohachuk on Saturday at Mandalay Bay, where Ortiz got up twice and won the final three rounds on all three scorecards to earn a 114-112 victory on two cards.
“The moral of the story is that things can change quickly,” Malignaggi said. “Now [Ortiz is] this decision has become the talk of the town, and Vergil is in a weight class with more potential [with Crawford, unified champion Sebastian Fundora, former champion Tim Tszyu and Spence].
“Ennis could utilize that large fight soon. You’ve got to get the large fights and then come out and impress. Vergil did that, and now he’s moving on.”
If Haney proves he is fully healed, he could be the fighter to give Ennis the large fight he needs
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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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