Boxing
The Ring 2024 Ratings: Flyweight
Published
3 months agoon
Shining Edwards (left) vs. Felix Alvarado. (Photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
The Ring first introduced divisional classifications in 1925. Nearly a century later, it would be no exaggeration to say that these independent classifications are the most respected and most talked about in world boxing.
The Ring Ratings Panel is made up of a dozen experts from around the world. Opinions are exchanged, debates are held, and the final decision on who should be rated is made democratically every week. It sounds basic, but it can be a tedious and time-consuming process.
I’ll go through each division in reverse order, starting with strawweight through heavyweight to look at each fighter’s accomplishments and peer into the crystal ball to see what lies ahead.
Next up is the flyweight (112 pounds), where IBF/WBO kingpin Jesse Rodriguez vacated his titles and moved up a weight class, which in turn paved the way for others. As always, enjoy the debate and respect the opinions of others.
No. 1 – SUNNY EDWARDS
RECORD: 21-1 (4 knockouts)
PAST: Edwards was a successful amateur, winning titles in the UK before turning pro in 2016. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Charlie, who won the world flyweight title when he used his expert footwork and quick hands to shock IBF champion Moruti Mthalane (UD 12). Edwards defended his title four times, most notably defeating Felix Alvarado (UD 12). The 28-year-old dared to be great and travelled to America, only to lose to WBO champion Jesse Rodriguez (RTD 9) in a unification fight, but has since returned with a victory over former junior flyweight titleholder Adrian Curiel (TD 9).
FUTURE: The Briton’s fight with Galal Yafai is expected to come soon, but if it doesn’t happen, he can count on winning his second world title.
No. 2 – ANGEL AYALA
RECORD: 18-0 (8 KOs)
PAST: The 24-year-old Mexican burst onto the world stage with an impressive win over former titleholder Cristofer Rosales (UD 12). The still largely unknown fighter became the first man to stop 32-fight veteran Miguel Angel Herrera (TKO 1). He had to come off the board to get past Felix Alvarado (SD 12) but came through impressively stopping Dave Apolinario (KO 6) to win the IBF title.
FUTURE: Now he enjoys the glory of being world champion, although we can expect him to defend his title in the fall.
No. 3 – SEIGO YURI AKUI
RECORD: 20-2-1 (11 KOs)
PAST: The Japanese fighter began his career with 11 wins in 12 fights, the blemish being a draw, before losing his undefeated status to future two-division titleholder Junto Nakatani (TKO 6). He bounced back impressively, stopping future junior flyweight champion Masamichi Yabuki (TKO 1). However, he then suffered another defeat, this time to Jaysever Abcede (TKO 8). The 28-year-old won a domestic title and has wins over Taku Kuwahara (TKO 10), Takuya Kogawa (TKO 10) and a immaculate sheet over Jayson Vayson (UD 10). He beat Artem Dalakian (UD 12) to win the WBA title and followed it up with a win over Kuwahara (UD 12).
FUTURE: Probably in the last quarter of this year he will have to defend the title for the second time at one of the biggest shows in Japan.
NO. 4 – ARTEM DALAKIAN
RECORD: 22-1 (15 KOs)
PAST: Dalakian was quietly minding his own business in Ukraine before coming to the US and impressively defeating Brian Viloria (UD 12) for the vacant WBA title in February 2018. The 36-year-old has since defended six titles, all but one of which came in Ukraine, mostly against middleweight opponents. His activity has been badly affected by the Covid pandemic and then the war in his homeland. Dalakian returned to action in England and defeated David Jimenez (UD 12), but lost the title in his last outing in controversial fashion to Yuri Akua (UD 12).
FUTURE: He moved to Los Angeles and is currently considering his options.
NO 5 – DAVID JIMENEZ
RECORD: 16-1 (11 KOs)
PAST: Jimenez fought internationally for Costa Rica as an amateur before turning pro in early 2019. The 32-year-old was able to move relatively quickly. However, it was his win over Ricardo Sandoval (MD 12) in a WBA title eliminator, in which he scored an 11th-round knockout, that made the difference, and he earned praise for it. He lost to Dalakian (UD 12), but returned to winning ways with four more wins, most notably over the usually hard-wearing Rosendo Hugo Guarneros (RTD 7), and recently moved up to 115 pounds, where he defeated John Ramirez (UD 12).
FUTURE: He hasn’t decided yet whether his future is at 112 or 115 pounds. He could fight in Costa Rica in December.
No. 6 – RICARDO SANDOVAL
RECORD: 25-2 (18 KOs)
PAST: The 25-year-old Californian turned pro overseas in Mexico in 2016. He bounced back from an early loss to score victories over the once-beaten Oscar Vasquez (UD 8) and stop the experienced Raymond Tabugon (KO 7). He traveled to the UK and defeated former world title challenger Jay Harris (KO 8) in an IBF eliminator. He took a risk that didn’t pay off when he faced unknown David Jimenez (MD 12). “El Niño” has since returned with five wins, including victories over experienced former world title challenger Carlos Buitrago (RTD 8) and former junior flyweight champion Angel Acosta (KO 10).
FUTURE: Sandoval is ranked in the top 15 by all four major sanctioning organizations and will soon be fighting for a world title shot.
No. 7 – FELIX ALVARADO
RECORD: 41-4 (35 KOs)
PAST: Alvarado lost world title shots to Kazuto Ioka (UD 12) and Juan Carlos Reveco (UD 12) early in his career. “El Gemelo” rebounded with 15 wins, earning himself a shot at the vacant IBF 108-pound belt. He stopped Randy Petalcorin (TKO 7) in October 2018 and successfully defended the title twice. The aggressive 35-year-old vacated his title to move up a weight class, losing an IBF title fight to Edwards (UD 12). He headed to Mexico and seemed unlucky in the fight with Ayala (L UD 12), but he did pick up two wins in Nicaragua.
FUTURE: A risky boxer who is a tough opponent for anyone, he may have to fight his way into a mandatory position to get a chance to fight for the world title.
No. 8 – ANTHONY OLASCUAGA
RECORD: 7-1 (5 KOs)
PAST: Olascuaga turned pro in 2019 and has moved quickly, defeating former world title challengers Saul Juarez (UD 8) and Gilberto Pedroza (UD 8) in his second and third fights, respectively. The Los Angeles-born fighter received tardy notice after just five professional fights to challenge for a world title against ring champion and WBA/WBC titleholder Kenshiro Teraji, and although he was stopped in nine rounds, he performed well. He returned with a knockout win over Giemel Magramo (TKO 7) and most recently knocked out Riku Kano (KO 3) to win the vacant WBO belt.
FUTURE: It looks like he will have to face mandatory challenger Jonathan Gonzalez in October.
No. 9 – CRISTOFER ROSALES
RECORD: 37-6 (22 knockouts)
PAST: The Nicaraguan cut his teeth fighting at home and gaining international experience, losing to future world titleholder Kal Yafai (PTS 8) and the once-vaunted Andrew Selby (UD 12). He came back in style to stun the highly regarded but underweight Haigo Higa (TKO 9) to become the WBC titleholder. He defended the title once before losing it to Charlie Edwards (UD 12). He was stopped by Julio Cesar Martinez (TKO 9) when the two fought for the vacant WBC title. He then lost to Ayala (UD 12) in a WBC title eliminator, but is riding a five-fight winning streak, including breaking the unbeaten record of Joselito Velazquez (UD 10).
FUTURE: This year he is scheduled to face Kenshiro Teraji for the vacant WBC belt.
No. 10 – GALAL YAFAI
RECORD: 7-0 (5 knockouts)
PAST: Yafai was unable to medal at the 2016 Olympics, but returned in 2020 (delayed until 2021) and took gold. The youngest of three fighting brothers, he famously turned pro in a 10-round fight and has been a quick riser. The 31-year-old left-hander has wins over Rocco Santomauro (UD 10) and the once-vaunted Agustin Gauto (TKO 8).
FUTURE: A potential all-British fight with Edwards could take place in the fall, otherwise Edwards will continue his efforts to fight for a world title.
At the bend: Dave Apolinario, Angelino Cordova, Vince Paras, Tobias Reyes and Francisco Rodriguez Jr.
YOU MAY MISS:
The Ring 2024 Ratings: Pound for Pound – The Ring (ringtv.com)
The Ring 2024 Ratings: Strawweight – The Ring (ringtv.com)
The Ring 2024 Ratings: Junior Flyweight – The Ring (ringtv.com)
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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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