Boxing
Angel Garcia will never be silenced
Published
2 months agoon
LAS VEGAS – Angel Garcia didn’t feel like it.
“They took away the coaches’ microphones!” the father/trainer of two-division champion Danny Garcia said Thursday as he was relegated to the role of mute comrade after he had become accustomed to taking over news conferences like Thursday’s to get inside the psyche of his son’s opponents.
In this case, the elder Garcia wanted to test the limits of WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs), who will defend his belt against Garcia’s son in Saturday night’s main event, which is a co-main event with the fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga at T-Mobile Arena.
“If [opponents] “say something stupid, I’ll come to them,” Angel Garcia said. “I’m studying you. What you say, what comes out of your mouth, I’ll remind you… ‘You said it!’ People don’t like the truth.”
At the press conference, he recalled his greatest successes, spoke about how he angered Amir Khan and Zab Judah, which affected their performances in the ring, and about the victories he achieved thanks to his son’s boxing training.
“In this sport, we should have personalities… the players have personalities. Let’s show who the bad guy is and who the good guy is,” Angel Garcia said. “It brings in a lot of money.
“You can’t just go in there and say, ‘We’re going to have a good fight.’ No, you say, ‘I hate you!'”
Angel Garcia said he was unsure how he would approach the soft-spoken 41-year-old Lara, who defended his belt in March by knocking out Michael Zerafa in the second round.
Garcia told one reporter he thought Lara might be desperate for money since he’s fighting into his 40s.
“At 40, you should become a lover, not a warrior,” Garcia said.
“I would call him an aged man there. … That may be true, but he is an aged man. But he is humble, like Danny. He keeps his nose pristine.”
At 36, Danny Garcia (37-3, 21 KOs) is fighting for only his second time in four years. The fight with Lara will take place at 157 pounds, Angel Garcia said, and a victory should earn his son a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
“I know what Danny can do. When he’s really focused, he can fight. His mind is 100 percent right now,” Garcia said. “He’s already a Hall of Famer. When he’s here, he’s a legend.”
Angel Garcia wore a T-shirt with his son’s initials emblazoned on it above the word “legacy.”
If he wins, Danny Garcia could decide to return to the talent-rich 154-pound division, which is home to fighters like Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora.
Angel Garcia said his son is dedicated to “the most basic tool of the sport, the shot,” and intends to employ a winning strategy similar to the one he used in his unforgettable 2012 WBC 140-pound title win over Khan and his sensational 2013 win over Lucas Matthysse in the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Alvarez main event.
“With Khan, I knew we were going to lose the first three rounds, that Khan was going to come swift,” Angel Garcia said. “Khan threw his jab, then he threw his right hand and he leaned in. … Well, when he leaned in, his chin was up. We timed it, we threw his right hand.”
Garcia defeated Khan in the fourth round.
In the fight against the fearsome Matthysse, Angel Garcia said the emphasis was on “wise pressure, then boxing and when [Matthysse charged]run away…don’t let him go. We caught him, frustrated him. He came to us, we beat him in boxing. And even though Matthysse hit Danny so difficult that he lost his mouthpiece once – and that hurts – he gritted his teeth and won [by unanimous decision].”
After the fight, Angel Garcia admitted that his son was “pissing blood” from all the shots he received to the kidneys.
“It won’t kill you…” Garcia said.
The time has come to fight for the third league championship.
Father and son together again to tell their truth.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
1 hour agoon
November 23, 2024In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
18 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
2 days 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.
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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
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