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Olympian Kenny Lane has fought 100 professional fights

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Name: Kenny Lane

Born: April 9, 1932

Died: August 5, 2008

Career: 1953 to 1985

Record: 100 fights, 82 wins (19 by KO/TKO), 16 losses (5 by KO/TKO), 2 draws.

Division: Lightweight, Superlightweight

Posture: left-handed

Titles: Michigan State Champion


Main competitions

Victories won over: Ronnie Stribling, Orlando Zuleta*(three times), Armand Savoie, Larry Boardman, Enrique Esqueda, Ralph Dupas**, Glen Flanagan, Ludwig Lightburn, Teddy Davis*, Frankie Ryff (twice), Johnny Gonsalves (twice), Lahouari Godih (twice), Carlos Ortiz**, Johnny Busso, Virgil Akins(twice)**, Doug Vaillant*, Rip Randall(twice), Manuel Gonzalez, Louis Molina, Tommy Tibbs, Carlos Hernandez**, Lenny Mattews, Vicente Derado*, Paul Armstead

Lost with: Ronnie Stribling, Ralph Dupas (twice)**, Paddy DeMarco**, Joe Brown**, Carlos Ortz**, Lenny Matthews, Jose Stable*, Johnny Bizzarro*, Dave Charnley*, Carlos Hernandez**, Eddie Perkins* *

Drawn from: Carlos Hernandez**, Curtis Coca-Cola**,

**Past/future World Title Version Holder

* Unsuccessful World Championship contender


The Kenny Lane Story

Lane was born in Massive Rapids, Michigan, and was one of six children raised on a farm. His older brother, Pearce, was an amateur at the highest level and competed in the 1956 Olympics, losing to Irishman Freddy Tiedt in the quarterfinals. Kenny honed his boxing style defending against Pearce and developed into a very clever left-hander.

He turned pro in April 1953 and won 16 of 17 fights in his first year, losing to Lane’s cut right eye. In 1954, he was 8-2 in 10 fights, losing twice to John Barnes of Detroit in Detroit, once by cut and once on points. Fights at opponents’ homes became a feature of Lane’s career.

Lane won the Michigan lightweight title that year and defended it by defeating Barnes. He also had his first fight in Modern York, defeating experienced former lightweight title challenger Orlando Zulueta on points. In 1955, he made his breakthrough. He was 12-2 in 14 fights, losing by split decision to Ralph Dupas and Paddy DeMarco, a former and future champion.

He won over Armand Savoie, Richie Howard and Larry Boardman to earn a rating in Ring Magazine and was a fixture at or near the ratings for the next ten years. Lane won 17 of his fights, earning him a title shot against Joe Brown. Brown retained his title via controversial unanimous decision, but the fight was very close, with one judge scoring it 144-143 and the other 143-142.

Lane had a 28–1 points victory over Carlos Ortiz in December 1958, just two months after Ortiz had defeated Dave Charnley on points in London. He met Ortiz for the vacant world welterweight title at Madison Square Garden in June 1959. Lane was knocked down in the second round, but also suffered a cut above his right eye, forcing the fight to be stopped.

Lane recovered quickly and defeated former welterweight champion Virgil Akins in October 1959, despite suffering another severe cut to his right eye. Lane continued to fight the best in 1960, losing on points to Ralph Dupas and Len Matthews due to cuts, but defeating Doug Vaillant and Lahouari Godiha. In ten fights in 1961, he drew with future champions Carlos Hernandez and Curtis Cokes, and also scored another victory over Virgil Akins.

In 1962, he had victories over Luis Molina and Carlos Hernandez (19-0) and a rematch over Len Matthews. Lane won a world title in 1963, defeating Paul Armstead, but only the state of Michigan recognized him. Lane fought for the real title in April 1964. He went 1-1 in two fights with Carlos Ortiz, but was knocked down and defeated on points in the third fight, while Ortiz defended his WBA and WBC lightweight titles. There were occasional defeats along the way, but consecutive defeats to Dave Charnley, Carlos Hernandez and Eddie Perkins led to Lane retiring at the age of 33 with a record of 79 wins, 15 losses and 2 draws.

While the sheer number of high-profile opponents Lane fought would be remarkable for any age, his willingness to fight those opponents on their home turf was equally remarkable. In 1955, he lost a split decision to Ralph Dupass in Modern Orleans, defeated Canadian Richie Howard in Nova Scotia, and in October lost a split decision to former lightweight champion Paddy DeMarco in Modern York.

In 1956, he defeated Enrique Esqueda in Mexico City, Dupas by split decision in Modern Orleans, and Glen Flanagan in Minneapolis. In 1957, he went to California to beat Johnny Gonzalves twice, and lost a title fight to Carlos Ortiz in 1959 in Modern York, which was practically his home turf.

In 1961, he drew with undefeated Venezuelan Carlos Hernandez in Caracas (Hernandez had defeated featherweight champion Davey Moore in eight rounds in a non-title fight in 1960). In 1961, he invaded Texas and faced four Texans in six weeks, defeating Rip Randall, Manuel Gonzalez, and Ray Portilla, and drawing with future welterweight champion Curtis Cokes.

In October he went to Paris to beat Aissa Hashas, ​​who was then 27-1, and in 1962 he defeated 19-0 Luis Molina in California and Tommy Tubbs in Boston, then Len Matthews in Philadelphia. In 1964 he had a win over Johnny Bizzarro in Erie, a loss to Carlos Ortiz in a WBA/WBC title fight in San Juan, a win over Stoffel Steyn in South Africa, and a loss to Dave Charnley in London (both pictured below).

Finally, in fight #95, he entered the lion’s den one last time, losing in two rounds to Hernandez in Venezuela. In each of the aforementioned cases, he fought a former, current or future champion or a ranked or unranked contender, all in front of the opposing fans, putting his ranking and standing at risk.

End of story? Not really. Lane gained a lot of weight after retiring, ballooning to about 200 pounds. He decided to start training to get down to 135 pounds, and once there, Lane looked back at his 96 fights and decided to bump it up to 100. He passed the state medical at age 50 and, almost 17 years after retiring, returned and went 3-1 in four fights over three years, retiring again in November 1985 at age 53.

He was a talented but light-hitting left-hander who had only 19 wins by KO/TKO. Carlos Ortiz said of Lane, “Nobody was harder to figure out than Kenny Lane; the guy was unbelievably shrewd.” His record shows 5 KO/TKO losses, but losses to Ronnie Stribling, John Barnes, Carlos Ortiz and Len Matthews were all by cut.

After retiring, Lane owned a laundromat and his own TV repair business. He opened a gym and worked with youth in his district. He also became an avid golfer, organizing the Kenny Lane Classic golf tournament named after him, which was also a fundraiser for a Muskegon recreation center.

In 2004, he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. He and his wife Ruth married in their teens and had four children. Lane died of a heart attack while playing golf on August 5, 2008.

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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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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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