Boxing
Huge Fight Preview: Jarrett Hurd vs. Jeison Rosario
Published
3 months agoon
Amid the layoffs and losses Jarrett Hurd and Jeison Rosario have endured, there have likely been moments where they have resisted, grappled with the truth and realized that boxing, for now, is what they were put on this earth to do. At some point Wednesday night, during what promises to be a compelling, mandatory fight scheduled for 10 rounds in the middleweight division, at least one of them will be forced to once again question their purpose and their future.
Therein lies the perverse beauty of all-or-nothing contests: you can’t hide from the truth.
The promoter who brought them together, ProBox TV boss Garry Jonas, is adept at revitalizing and developing careers through the very uncomplicated premise of creating well-matched 50/50 fights. Not so much throwing fighters into the deep end, but insisting they prove they can swim in the waters their talents are (or should be) accustomed to.
“Ideally, improvements would have been made, but we explained to the decision-makers that ProBox TV does not deal with such improvements,” explained Jonas, who thanked Sampson Leckowicz, Luis DeCubas and PBC for their aid in organizing the contest.
“There’s a shift in boxing where increasingly, defeats don’t matter, and good fights are what matter, even at the non-championship level. And fighters know they’ll be rewarded for taking on uncomfortable fights.
“I’m not sure it’s the end of the road for the loser,” Jonas told BoxingScene. “If both guys come prepared and show what they can do, then no — not with ProBox TV. But it’s clear that the winner has a clearer path back to prominence and large fights.”
Neither Hurd nor Rosario are novel to large fights. Both are part of a recent junior middleweight line that has produced several high-quality fights and led to Jermell Charlo winning all four belts, all by defeating Rosario along the way. Before that, the Miami, Dominican Republic-born fighter — currently 24-4-1 (18 KOs) — won the WBA and IBF titles eight months after Hurd lost them.
While Rosario’s time at the top was brief and unexpected, Hurd enjoyed a more fruitful stay at the top and even flirted with boxing stardom for a time.
Shortly after defending his title against Jason Welborn as a welcome appetizer before Deontay Wilder’s first fight with Tyson Fury in December 2018, Hurd was sitting with his team at a fancy pizza restaurant next to the Los Angeles Staples Center.
His broad, tattooed frame struggled to emerge from the tight T-shirt, and his bushy hair, dyed orange at the ends, gave him an aura that stunned everyone in the restaurant.
About 24 hours later, the plucky but mismatched Welborn had defied inevitable defeat for three and a bit rounds before succumbing to a final brutal body attack in the fourth. When Hurd—still the champion, still undefeated—flashed his pearly teeth in victory, it seemed he was getting ready to go.
The dramatic fall that followed came as a shock. Six months later, he lost another fight and two world titles to Julian Williams in a thrilling split decision after a fight in which Hurt embraced his love of brawling too eagerly. Challenger and gatecrasher Luis Arias outpointed “Swift” in a 10-round fight in the summer of 2021, and then, after a 16-month layoff, the unexpected Jose Armando Resendiz forced a 10-round stoppage.t round.
Having once defeated such greats as Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara and Tony Harrison, and drawn crowds simply by wearing a tight T-shirt, Hurt, 33, now finds himself fighting for attention and a sense of importance; a not uncommon situation when players who are used to winning suddenly start losing.
On Wednesday night at the ProBox TV Events Center in Tampa, Florida, Hurd meets an opponent who is also preparing to survive.
Even though he’s younger at 29, Rosario’s decline seems harder to reverse. He’s a fighter who dethroned Williams in an even bigger upset than Hurd’s loss to “J Rock,” but his reigns as WBA and IBF champion lasted only eight months. Charlo knocked Rosario down three times in September 2020, stopping him in eight rounds. It was 10 months before he was knocked out in six rounds by Erickson Lubin, and in his last foray into the world class in November 2022, Brian Mendoza needed just five to score a knockout.
It’s fair to say that such defeats have come to better fighters than those who irritated Hurd, and that Rosario, with better company, should have been a favorite to win. But who knows what all those punches from world-class boxers ultimately got out of him—all four of his career defeats came on the schedule. What’s more, he lived badly outside the ring, adopting bad habits that extended the miles he ran prematurely. announced his retirement after losing to Mendoza.
His novel coach, Bob Santos (who also manages Mendoza), was open about the extent of the rebuild when I’m talking to BoxingScene this week: “He’s in a hole and he’s going to have to find a way to get out of it. So he chose me as his coach to aid him get out of it, and it’s a pretty damn deep hole, to say the least.
“It’s no secret that he didn’t live the cleanest lifestyle,” Santos continued. “But I don’t care how talented you are – we have to give our maximum and give our all. If we can’t do that, what do we do? I don’t want him to cheat himself, me or the fans… We’ll see how he shows up on Wednesday night. It’s a tough task, but if he does everything right, he has a chance to turn things around.”
Whether Santos is laying all his cards on the table from the start, or is he bluffing, giving Hurd a false sense of superiority, well, only time will tell.
More encouraging was the battle cry of the warrior himself. “I feel like I’m starting over, when I was at my best” Rosario told BoxingScene“The way this camp has been going has been incredible. I needed a coach who doesn’t beat around the bush [like Santos] to get back into shape. We put in a lot of strenuous work over the last three months. I feel like I’m back in shape.”
Hurd, 25-3 (17 KOs), also hasn’t looked the same for a while now. What was once an thrilling, forward-moving style designed to maroon anyone who got in his way can now be described as sloppy, clumsy and far too uncomplicated to read. Trained by Andre Robin, Hurd accepts that what was once effortless is now much more tough.
“I sometimes wake up feeling stiff, because I don’t know why” he admitted last week“I used to just come to the gym and jump in the ring, man. That’s not happening anymore. I have to stretch and sultry up,” he admitted. “As you get older, your reflexes snail-paced down a little bit, your reaction time isn’t what you think it is, sometimes you see them coming but you can’t move away like you used to. That’s what happens with age. It’s part of the game. So you have to fight smarter.”
The feeling here is that Hurd, painfully aware of his own mortality, will actually be the smarter of the two, will see enough of what’s coming from his opponent and will be able to land the blows required to finish this thing in the second half – perhaps by exposing Rosario’s apparent vulnerability to the body, an area Hurd has always excelled in. But when it comes to anticipating this, a coin toss is certainly better than overthinking.
“They were probably hungrier and more focused than at any other point in their careers,” Jonas said when asked what kind of fight he expected. “The desperation and the sense of urgency that comes with it brings out the best in all of us.
“They both have a do-or-die mentality and they’ve known about the fight for a while, and they both come in fully prepared. But what’s going to happen? I have no idea. Not knowing what to expect is a good reason to watch the fight… I’m bullish it’s going to be good.”
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Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
2 hours agoon
November 23, 2024Former 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.
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.
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