Coach Greg Hackett says he considers the criticism Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Ford are receiving for helping Jake Paul prepare for the Nov. 14 exhibition game short-sighted. He points out that they have daughters and this is a business move by them to make money by helping Jake train at a “luxury” training facility in Puerto Rico.
Hackett sharply attacks critics
Gervonta Davis, Jake’s opponent in his November 14 exhibition match on Netflix, is currently in doubt amid modern domestic violence allegations. Jake and Netflix are looking for a replacement for the event. The event will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Ryan Garcia is considered the favorite to replace Tank Davis if he is removed from the event.
“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. Both of these guys have daughters,” coach Greg Hackett said YSM sports mediatalking about Ray Ford and Shakur Stevenson helping Jake Paul spar to prepare him for an exhibition match against an as-yet-to-be-determined opponent on November 14
Analysts believe: loyalty doesn’t pay the bills
It’s weird that people criticize Shakur and Ford for helping Jake Paul prepare for Tank or anyone else. Seeing this as a situation where they’re breaking the code doesn’t make any sense. Boxing is a business and these fighters are paid to assist Jake. This is a great opportunity for them to earn money and learn from a opulent millionaire. This is a win-win situation for Shakur and Ford.
There is no deep betrayal there because they owe nothing to Tank Davis or anyone who will be brought in as a replacement opponent. When did Tank fight one of them? If he blessed Stevenson and Ford with a fight, it could be seen as potentially a betrayal. This is not the case here.
“The weird thing is Jake Paul isn’t a real fighter. He’s not even 135 or 147. He’s a cruiserweight. Y’all are trying to assist him crush Tank [or whoever is brought in as a replacement]Hackett said.
The Avengers are assembling for Jake Paul
– You send the avengers to assist [Jake]. It’s like getting all the bullies together to assist that one kid who has no business being in the yard anyway. They will benefit from it too. But it looks like Jake Paul is doing his best.”
Cruiserweight Jake (12-1, 7 KO) hasn’t fought anyone at Tank Davis’ level in his five-year professional career. He had no chance for an amateur career. So he’s learning on the job and needs world-class professional fighters to assist him prepare for this key event on November 14. If Jake (28) shines in this fight, he could potentially face former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in 2026. That would be a huge payday.
Bottom line
Shakur and Ford make astute business moves by teaming up with charismatic self-made millionaire Jake Paul. This is an ideal situation for them, and it’s not one in which they will be disloyal to Tank Davis or whoever will be introduced as Jake’s opponent at the show on November 14. It’s work.
Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.
Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.
Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.
“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”
Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.
Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.
He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.
More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.
Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.
Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.
For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.
Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.
After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.
“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”
The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.
“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”
“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.
“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”
The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.
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