Boxing
Are Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford the favorites for knockout and fight of the year?
Published
5 months agoon
Within minutes, the favorites for knockout of the year and fight of the year were within a 575-mile radius of the American Southwest, where Angelo Leo and Vergil Ortiz Jr. emerged victorious in an unexpected and magnificent night for boxing.
Reflecting on those events on Monday’s “Top Stories” on Pro Box TV, former world champions Chis Algieri, Paulie Malignaggi and Timothy Bradley Jr. discussed the fights and what happened afterward.
Knowing that Japanese four-division champion and non-division elite Naoya Inoue is moving up to featherweight in 2025, Malignaggi said Leo’s timing was perfect when he landed a brilliant left hook to the chin of beltholder Luis Alberto Lopez in the 10th round, securing a shocking knockout.
“Whenever you have the momentum for a gigantic win, a gigantic knockout … he’s definitely in the running for Inoue,” Malignaggi said.[Leo] Is [Inoue] goal. Leo is the perfect candidate, judging by what he looks like.”
By winning the IBF featherweight world title in his hometown of Albuquerque, Up-to-date Mexico, Leo (25-1, 12 KOs) showed what a solid fighter he is, Bradley said.
“The way he set up that punch was catch and shoot — he knew Lopez’s opposite hand was going to drop when he threw his punch,” Bradley said. “That’s a common mistake a lot of fighters make today. It was a perfectly placed punch to the chin.”
Meanwhile, Ortiz, surprisingly, has never landed a knockout punch, which he has in each of his previous 21 fights. Still, he overcame two knockdowns to emerge with a majority points victory over Ukrainian Serhiy Bohachuk in Las Vegas.
“Super fun fight. Two guys who are very hungry in a deep division,” Algieri said, praising Ortiz’s performance in the finish and his ability to show up-to-date strengths.
“I had Vergil, who won a close fight with gigantic consequences, but Bohachuk showed that he is also a player in this division. He showed his class.”
Malignaggi was fascinated.
“What a fight! Dynamite, explosive combinations – they did everything we expected and more,” he said. “Ortiz goes down twice. Bohachuk is the guy … man, he’s sturdy. Incredible power, great chins. I want to see that again.”
Bradley is pushing tough for an immediate rematch, insisting that “Bohachuk did enough to win… two knockdowns [in the first and eighth rounds]and I thought he clearly won the rounds in between. The wrong guy didn’t make the decision.
“Bohachuk out-punched, out-worked, out-worked Ortiz. Yes, Ortiz was more explosive, but a lot of those punches didn’t land. Come back, guys.”
It may not be that uncomplicated, especially since Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh said before and after the fight that he would like to see Ortiz fight up-to-date four-division champion Terence Crawford.
Malignaggi called Alalshikh to order for talking about the fight before Ortiz and Bohachuk had even landed a single punch.
“With all due respect, you don’t organize warm-up fights. [Alalshikh] started talking about the Ortiz-Crawford fight and ignored Bohachuk like he was some kind of advisor,” Malignaggi said, noting that Alalshikh should already know from the cases of heavyweights he’s defeated, Deontay Wilder and Jared Anderson, that surprises happen.
“You can’t write that. You saw it yourself.”
Malignaggi said focusing on the Ortiz-Crawford fight is pointless considering how much competition there was in the Ortiz-Bohachuk fight.
“Bohachuk-Ortiz 2 would be a better fight. Bohachuk-Ortiz 2 is a fight that needs to be made,” he said.
Bradley agreed because he believed Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) had won.
“There are still things to sort out — automatic rematch, I think,” Bradley said. “Bohachuk got his ass kicked.”
That said, if Saudi funds are backing the Crawford-Ortiz fight, it’s probably a case of “following the money,” Bradley said. “Fighters will follow the money, and the money is damn good.”
Ortiz’s trainer Robert Garcia told BoxingScene that his fighter could return in February, when Alalshikh plans to hold his next card of the season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
1 day agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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