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JoJo Diaz balances training with rehab as she prepares for clash with Nicholas Walters

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Two former world champions looking to make one last run at the ring will face off in a lightweight bout when Joseph “JoJo” Diaz and Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters meet on October 9 at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

It’s a remarkable clash between two men who have fallen far from the heights they once enjoyed. A decade ago, Walters, 29-1-1 (22 KOs), was a feared featherweight, knocking out Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire in the months before setting up a 2016 meeting with Vasiliy Lomachenko, who was then at the peak of his otherworldly powers. But that fight for Lomachenko’s 130-pound belt went about as badly as it could for the Jamaican. Constantly beaten by the two-time Olympic gold medalist and unable to get anything of substance in return, Walters surrendered on the stool after the seventh round. Never mind that he was the first of four opponents in a row to capitulate to the Ukrainian champion; it was a humiliating night for Walters, who promptly dropped out of the picture for seven years.

He returned to the ring in 2023 at the age of 36, picking up two wins in scheduled eight-round bouts and then impressively coming off a 10-round victory over Joseph Adorno at ProBox TV Events Center on March 27.

Diaz (33-6-1, 15 KOs) failed to capture a title in his first world title fight, losing a unanimous decision to WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. in May 2018 and then snagging the 130-pound belt from Tevin Farmer in January 2020. But that was the pinnacle of Diaz’s career: He was stripped of his belt for coming in overweight for his first title defense, against Shavkatjon Rakhimov, which ended in a draw; after defeating Javier Fortuna in his next fight to improve to 32-1-1, he went into a downward spiral, winning just one of his six fights since.

And while some of those losses can be excused, there’s nothing wrong with handing the decision to Devin Haney or William Zepeda, as Diaz did in December 2021 and October 2022 respectively, while Mercito Gesta, who defeated Diaz on points in March 2023, was always going to be a complex and awkward task.

But losing in a fight to Jesus Perez (24-5) was harder to stomach, and in his last appearance in the junior welterweight division against Oscar Duarte, he was stopped for the first time.

Diaz’s change in attitude in the ring coincided with his struggles off the ropes and culminated in the loss to Duarte when the Californian checked into rehab for alcohol abuse.

He is still in rehab and will remain there until the fight, seeking treatment at the White Sands Alcohol and Drug Rehab Center in Florida, which is just steps away from the ProBox TV Events Center.

Garry Jonas, owner of both facilities (as well as BoxingScene), has not been sparing in his praise for Diaz’s actions.

“When we started talking about this fight, JoJo told me he was in treatment, and I said, ‘Good for you,’” Jonas told BoxingScene. “It wasn’t like he was in bad shape, but JoJo realized he had to get his sobriety going and stay on that path. So I said, ‘You know, White Sands Treatment Center is 50 yards from ProBoxTV. Why don’t you come and stay in treatment until the fight?’ He can walk 50 yards to the gym and train all he wants, or he’ll be isolated. He’ll eat great. His mind will be fine. He’ll be in therapy all the time. He might feel like a million bucks when he walks into the ring that night from his treatment room. But it’s intriguing because we don’t know what’s coming. JoJo could have done so much damage to himself that nothing he does will lend a hand. Or he could see this as a miracle cure. We know Nicholas Walters is going to be very well prepared. He looked great against Joseph Adorno. I think it’s intriguing.

“No matter what happens tonight, Jojo Diaz continues to put his sobriety first, and that is the most crucial thing in his life outside of boxing.”

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Boxing

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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Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory

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Lauren Price

Lauren 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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Heavyweight who knocked out Lewis to break Tyson’s record days after the feat

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Heavyweight Oliver McCall returns 2024

Mike 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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