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For Michael Zerafa, all roads lead to Tszyu or two

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Motivation can be tough to find in boxing, especially after a loss.

The rebuilding phase can take time. Confidence-building fights often take place away from the radiant lights and the huge stage. The purses dwindle. The wagon empties. All but the rusty fans disappear.

No one knows this better than Michael Zerafa, who lost a second-round knockout to WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara in March.

But the 32-year-old Zerafa (31-5, 19 KOs) will have something to fight for when he takes on 41-year-old Australian Tommy Browne (45-8-2, 19 KOs) next Wednesday night at the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia in an eight-round Nikita Tszyu vs. Koen Mazoudier bout.

“My preparation was great,” Zerafa told The Ring. “I trained for the fight. I didn’t overtrain; I trained really intelligent. My mind was ready to go, the motivation kicked in. I feel good.

“Tommy Browne is a tough guy. Kudos to him for taking the fight. I know he’s going to come and I’m not looking down on anyone. I’ve got a job to do next Wednesday, the 28th, and that’s all I’m focused on.”

Browne is a stubborn, resilient guy who was a featherweight contender two decades ago. The Sydney native has won three straight fights against average opponents, with a combined record of 24-21, and doesn’t seem likely to pose much trouble for Zerafa, but the Melbourne native insists he’s not looking down on him.

“I never look for a knockout,” said Zerafa, who will fight at 157 pounds. “I just do my thing and try to set traps. If I take them to the deep end, I’ll drown them. But if I see an opportunity to knock them out early, I’ll take it.”

“That’s not what I’m looking for. I’m just going there to say something.

“Listen, I know he’s tough and he’s going to come fight. I like that; it brings out the best in me. When a guy comes in with a dog in him, that’s when I get fired up.”

In the fight with Lara, Zerafa boxed well enough until the left-handed Cuban timed a left bomb that exploded on his chin behind schedule in the second round. Zerafa fell to the ground and although he managed to get to his feet after the count of nine, he stumbled and fell into a neutral corner, forcing referee Allen Huggins to stop the fight at 2:59.

“It was a tough pill to swallow,” Zerafa said of the loss, which came on the pre-fight pitch for the Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora fight. “It was tough to come out like that. But that’s just the way sports are. You have to take the wins when you win, and you have to take the losses like you won. You have to have the same mentality.

“You can’t just drop everything. It’s still an achievement. You can’t just drop everything and say, ‘I’m done,’ and retire. Even though I lost and I had a little bit of a sook in my back and stuff, I didn’t look at the negatives. I said, ‘You know what, I fought Lara. I fought the guy who probably beat Canelo Alvarez.’ [and is] one of the best fighters to ever come out of Cuba, future Hall of Famer. Look where I’m fighting; I’m at the T-Mobile Arena.’ That’s an accomplishment. So even though it was a loss, it was a win. Not many people, if any, get the opportunity to do what I did. It was amazing.”

Browne is more than just an opponent for Zerafa, who knows that an impressive win on a huge domestic card like this one would breathe fresh life into his career. A win could lead him directly to a fight with rising junior middleweight star Nikita Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs) and potentially a much-anticipated fight with former WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) in the future.

“I can’t say too much,” Zerafa said when pressed for details of his fresh three-fight deal with promoter No Limit. “I’m not sure what I can and can’t say. There’s been some conversations, some documents floating around. But Tszyu’s name is on there – I don’t know if I can or can’t say – but look, there’s a three-fight plan and their names are on it, yeah.”

Tim Tszyu’s younger brother, Nikita, has blossomed into a star on a national level. With his action-packed, marching style, the man nicknamed “The Butcher” is already a local pay-per-view fixture.

Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5 KOs) would be a good candidate for the 26-year-old left-hander at this point in his career, but Zerafa cautions against comparisons.

“Nikita is still inexperienced,” Zerafa said. “He’s still growing. He’s doing great things, but like I said, the Mazoudier fight will be a huge test for him because Mazoudier moves; he’s tough; he’s good at boxing. And like you said, Nikita gets hit a lot.”

He added: “I think out of his last six [Nikita] he got hurt or went down in four of them. I’m a different caliber than the guys he fought. The guys he fought were tough and they’re moving forward, but I think I’m on a different level.

“Everyone is talking about my last performance, but before that I beat Jeff [Horn]beating me [Issac] Hardman, the fact that I beat all those guys that were put in front of me, it’s simple to forget.

“But, again, I’m focused on Tommy Browne. I don’t really care about Nikita; he’s got his own problem to deal with.”

The Hardman reference is intriguing. Two years ago, Hardman, who was 12-0 with 10 knockouts, thought Zerafa would be the perfect springboard at this stage of his career. That was a huge misjudgment by the Queenslander and his team. Hardman was stopped in two rounds.

“Everybody says, ‘Nikita’s a huge puncher, Nikita this and Nikita that.’ Horn was the same,” Zerafa said. “He moves forward, he’s powerful, he’s tough, he’s the one who beat Manny Pacquiao. Then there’s guys like Hardman, who’s powerful, tough, he likes moving forward and was a lot bigger than me. Same thing; it didn’t end too well for him. So let them think that, let them do what they have to do. They have their own problems to worry about. I just focus on what I have to do. My career is like driving a car. I just focus on what I have to do; I don’t worry about the other drivers on the road.”

With the added incentive of Tszyu’s fight, Zerafa says he’s taking a more scientific approach to this camp.

“I’m actually training harder because I’m doing everything smarter,” said Zerafa, who will have a fresh corner for the fight, including head trainer Josh Arnold, Glenn Rushton of Stretton Boxing Club and Matt Partridge.

“When I was younger, I would get up in the morning and run 25 km (15 miles), then try to spar, then run again. I would cook my body. Now I have a proper plan, proper recovery and a chef who cooks all my meals according to how I train. Everything is just in place and I feel really good.

“I come out of training wanting to do more after spending two and a half hours in the gym. So I feel amazing. And on Wednesday night I’m going to give it my all in the ring.”

Auditioning for a huge fight on a nationally televised card, what extra motivation could a boxer need?

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Boxing

George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former 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.

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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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