Dogged Griffin he might get knocked down in the boxing ring one day, but he probably won’t be left out in the icy because it’s nothing compared to what he experienced in the “real life” arena. You’d have to go a long way to find another professional fighter who was wrongly imprisoned for murder and had to come back afterward.
There’s a success story in the works that will continue on Saturday when the Chattanooga, TN native takes on Nicaragua’s Lesther Espino in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout. This is part of the performance that will take place on May 11 on the promenade, as Larry Goldberg’s Boxing Insider Promotions brings professional boxing back to the world Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City after a seven-year absence.
Griffin had approximately 160 amateur fights, competing against the best at the national level, doing so under the tutelage of his father Alvin, who introduced him to the sport at the age of eight.
They were inseparable and planned to climb the ladder together. But fate threw Griffin a curveball. Three weeks before he was scheduled to make his professional debut, a blood vessel in Alvin’s brain burst and while Avious was taking him to the hospital, he died in the backseat.
Avious felt his dad wanted him to fight, so he did. This took place in June 2016 and in the first 13 months of his professional career he recorded four knockouts in seven rounds.
Then fate intervened once again. There was an ongoing murder investigation in Chattanooga, and Griffin’s friend used his name in connection with the crime. This led to Griffin’s arrest and conviction, and he spent eleven months in prison. It was challenging because people turned away from him, but he had to believe in himself. As he says: “I had to rebuild myself from scratch. It was like kindergarten again.”
While he was in prison, some of the other people involved in the crime admitted that Griffin had nothing to do with it, and a subsequent trial led to his release.
After regaining his freedom, he went to Floyd Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas and got to work. He fought his first fight in almost four years in May 2021, defeating Jair Garza in the first round.
Since then, no one has stopped him.
In thirteen professional fights, only one opponent – Marcelo Bzowski – was able to overcome such a distance with him. This was in February 2022. In his last fight, which took place in July, he scored a second-round KO over veteran Jonathan Jose Eniz. He was supposed to fight last November in Costa Rica, but missed it due to injury.
Griffin is no stranger to Atlantic City, having fought there twice. On Saturday (May 11), he is scheduled to face Espino, a Nicaraguan who is 8-5 and has six KOs. Four of Espino’s five losses came at the hands of undefeated opponents.
Currently 7th place in the United States Boxing Association rankings (USBA), Griffin takes aim at anyone who has an advantage over him. And he doesn’t care much about the obstacles in his way.
“Many people cannot withstand the blows I took and get up and keep going.”
Here is the lineup for Saturday’s Boxing Insider Promotions program, including the Avious Griffin fight:
8 rounds – Featherweights JAN LEONARD (10-1-1, 4 KO), Manalapan Township, Modern Jersey vs. FRANK GONZALEZ (12-5, 6 KO), Tampa, Florida
8 rounds – welterweights GREAT GRIFFIN (13-0, 12 KO), Chattanooga, TN vs. LESTHER ESPINO (8-5, 6 KO), Nicaragua
6 rounds – junior middleweight JUSTIN FIGUEROA (8-0, 6 KO), Atlantic City, Modern Jersey vs. ANTONIO ARMAS (13-7, 8 KO), Venezuela
6 rounds – Jr. medium weight DWYKE FLEMINGS (6-0, 6 KO), Paterson, Modern Jersey vs. JONATHAN HAMPTON (3-4, 1 KO), Gary, IN
4 rounds – heavyweight PRYCE TAYLOR (3-0, 2 KO), Brooklyn, NY vs. LAWRENCE KING JR. (2-1.1 KO), Rochester, Modern York
4 rounds – middleweight JACOB SOLIS (3-0, 3 KO), Modern York, NY vs. BRANDOON MARTINEZ (1-3, 1 KO), Tucson, Arizona
4 rounds – lightweights KOBY WILLIAMS (professional debut), Brooklyn, NY vs. KEVIN HICKS (1-2, 1 KO), Taswell, West Virginia
Mike Tyson may not win at all even if he knocks out Jake Paul on Friday.
Tyson is approaching a comeback fight that many believe will not end with anyone winning.
Tyson was told that winning at the age of 58 in boxing was an empty joke. Tyson can’t really win either way if he crushes Paul or gets knocked out himself.
The former UFC star turned analyst weighed in on the Tyson debate as Daniel Cormier offered his views on the controversial fight.
Tyson will wear his professional gloves on November 15, nineteen years and more since his last appearance. Despite “Iron” Mike losing his previous two contests by knockout, YouTuber Paul sees Tyson as a cash opportunity to gain some recognition.
However, Cormier joins many voices who believe that both men have no chance of winning this fight. The only advantage of the entire Netflix event is money, which is no reason to create such an antagonist, since both men are already millionaires.
On his “Funky and the Champ” show, Cormier discussed Tyson’s smokescreen training videos, saying, “I understand that [he looks good at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels great].
“I agree when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro. It looks like there’s still something left there. But then I see Jake Paul fighting 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 operate the backup tank to stay and compete with this juvenile kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
“What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over,” Cormier added. “Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like this has ever happened in the history of sports.”
Paul has eight two-minute rounds to get the job done, while the consensus is that Tyson only has 30 seconds before he’s blowing tough and having difficulty keeping up.
The only comparison fight fans have made to the Paul vs. Tyson fight is when Evander Holyfield returned to action at the same age as Tyson in 2021. Facing Vitor Belfort, who was twenty years older than Paul at the time, Holyfield lasted only 109 seconds.
Mike is in deep crisis and must get out of the fight or destroy his opponent to gain any recognition. Senior Tyson would have beaten that opponent in a matter of seconds. Therefore, he must prove that money is not the only thing that counts.
In a recent workout, Tyson’s muscle mass remains off the charts for a man his age. The only problems will be its resistance to attacks and movement. If Mike can’t move around the ring, he’ll be chosen at his discretion by a guy three decades younger, with a much more significant engine.
Paul clearly doesn’t have skills comparable to Tyson. However, Mike has shown on numerous occasions, even in his thirties, that he is prone to impoverished performances and falling out of the game.
An audience of millions will watch to decide his ultimate legacy.
Salita Promotions returns to Flint, Michigan on Thursday, December 12 with another edition of BIG TIME BOXING USA, the leading talent development series in the sport, featuring a fight card packed with some of boxing’s top prospects, including Michigan Jr.’s Ardreal “Bossman” Holmes. , Joey Spencer, Da’Velle “Hitman 2.0” Smith and Leon Lawson III.
This will be the sixth BIG TIME BOXING USA card since the series premiered in February, and it is without a doubt the series’ strongest lineup yet, from top to bottom. All the action takes place at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, and the top four fights are broadcast live on DAZN, the undisputed home of boxing worldwide. Tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST and can be purchased online HERE or in person at the Dort Financial Center box office.
After successfully defending his USBA junior middleweight title in September, Flint native Holmes (16-0, 6 KO) returns to his hometown to once again put his title on the line in the main event against an experienced challenger, French veteran Ahmed El Mousaoui ( 35-6-1, 9 KOs).
Fan favorite Spencer (18-1, 11 KO), from nearby Fenton, Michigan, will fight in a 10-round 160-pound fight. Spencer has bounced back with two wins since his lone loss to undefeated, highly-rated Jesus Ramos in March 2023.
Spencer will fight as a professional for the second time in his home state of Michigan. “Fighting in front of fans and friends from all over the state was the best experience,” Spencer said. “I grew up fighting alongside Ardreal Holmes and Leon Lawson – training and traveling to tournaments together and even sparring with each other as we grew into the same weight class.
“Large Time Boxing is a very cold series and Dmitriy Salita does a lot for boxing in Michigan. I can’t wait for December 12th and I’ll be ready to put on a show.
“My team and I are proud to announce the strongest BIG TIME BOXING USA fight card to date,” Salita said. “Since the series launched in February, we have been building and evolving it to become the premier talent development platform for newborn fighters, and this fight card is the best yet. Thank you to DAZN for providing a global platform for these fighters to shine and earn a shot at a world title. We would also like to thank Flint fans for supporting their hometown heroes and the entire sport of boxing. We had a great performance at the Dort Financial Center in September and this fight card is even more packed with incredible talent.”
Smith, touted as Detroit’s best undefeated middleweight prospect since Tommy Hearns, scored an impressive victory over Gilberto Pereira dos Santos last month in Puerto Rico. Smith has a record of 10-0 and 8 knockouts, and his momentum will be even greater when he returns to the ring against William Townsel (8-1, 6 KO) from Virginia Beach. This matchup represents the first major test for Smith, who is considered the second coming of the legendary Hearns due to his combination of speed, power and physique. Townsel previously upset Nadim Salloum, who had a 12-1 record heading into the fight, during the March edition of BIG TIME BOXING USA.
Flint native Lawson (16-1, 9 KO), cousin of Anthony and Andre Dirrell, returns after an impressive performance in September when he dominated Argentine Luis Alberto Veron and scored his second straight TKO. Lawson’s super welterweight opponent will not be announced. Additionally, former world title contender Byron Rojas (28-4-3, 11 KO) will fight on the fight card.
Rising star Samantha Worthington (9-0, 7 KO) of Lexington, Kentucky, will compete for the third time in 2024, defending her undefeated record in women’s super lightweight fighting. Worthington is ranked No. 2 by the IBF, No. 4 by the WBO and No. 6 by the WBC and WBA at 140 pounds. Worthington is promoted by “GWOAT,” unified women’s world champion and Flint native Claressa Shields and T-Rex Promotions. Shields and Worthington were members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.
Shields added that Worthington is a player that Flint fans won’t want to miss. “Samantha will showcase the relentless work ethic and tremendous skill that first caught my eye and has seen her rise through the ranks,” Shields said. “Samantha is well on her way to challenging the top competitors in the sport, with future world title fights against the likes of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano well within her reach. Michigan fans, get ready to watch a rising women’s boxing star in your own backyard.
Deontay Wilder revealed his intentions to fight again in an address to his supporters, inspired by a quote from Rocky star Sylvester Stallone.
The “Brown Bomber” tries to leave behind two devastating defeats and the decline of personal relationships, starting a comeback with a novel attitude. Wilder has sought professional support for his mentality and intends to return to the ring to give himself one last chance.
In a video post on Instagram, Wilder said: “Listen, everyone is going to have an opinion about you, but those opinions don’t matter. Life will hit you and knock you down. It’s a mindset to keep moving forward.
“I experienced failures long before boxing. I faced challenges long before I stepped into the ring. I was punched and knocked down long before I even put on boxing gloves. I’m still here because my attitude is to get up and keep going…
“So over the last few months I have been building the protocol with mentality [strength]. I always say that we all have greatness within us, but greatness is only defined in service, so I wake up every day trying to serve. To teach other men how to move forward and support other men improve their mindset because mental health is my primary mission.
“The next critical mission is to get in the ring and do what I was supposed to do,” Wilder added.
Responding to those who believe his career is over, Wilder stated: “If any of you have negative opinions, look at your mindset and step back from that negative bull****. How about this?
“To all my fans and supporters and those who have never left me, I love you all very much and thank you very much. Because no matter how many losses and how many challenges, no matter how many times life hits you and knocks you down, you better get up and keep going. That is the power of thinking.”
Wilder was inspired by Rocky’s original quote from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”
Stallone’s quote reads: “Let me tell you something you already know. The world is not all sunshine and rainbows. This is a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are. It will bring you to your knees and keep you there forever if you let it.
“You, me or no one will hit as tough as life. But it’s not about how tough you hit. It’s about how tough you can get hit and keep going.
“As much as you can take and keep going. That’s how you win!”
Whether Deontay Wilder can win again will depend on his choice of opponent.
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