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Benavidez, no monster at 175, returns to 168

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Image: Benavidez, No Monster at 175, Returns to 168

Lionell Thompson believes David Benavidez is “not the monster at 175” that he was at 168. That’s why Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) is moving back down to 168 after a brutal fight with Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his 175 debut on June 15.

This is not elite in this weight class

Thompson, a super middleweight title challenger, believes Benavidez is “just another good boxer” at 175 pounds but would be “destroyed” against unified lithe heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.

Benavidez faltered in the second half of his win over Gvozdyk, and Thompson believes it was because he was taking rigid punches and was forced to fight harder than usual.

“Mexican Monster” Benavidez didn’t wear out Gwozdyk in the first half of the fight like he does against his smaller 168-pound opponent, so he couldn’t rely on getting on the court in the second half because he was forced to expend so much energy given the pressure, which Oleksandr exerted on him at the beginning.

Benavidez says he is moving back down to 168 pounds, but intends to move back down to 175. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh wants Benavidez to fight the winner of the undisputed lithe heavyweight title fight on October 12 between Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

The money Benavidez will receive in a fight with the winner of this fight will be too much for him to turn down, so he will return and face his destiny.

Artur Beterbiev: A real monster

“He started getting hit back and David didn’t finish the fight as forceful,” Lionell Thompson said Fighting with excitementtalking about David Benavidez’s lithe heavyweight debut on June 15th against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

“Someone like Arthur [Beterbiev]who will be on you every second of every round, who hits extremely rigid, David is destroyed. Benavidez goes back to 168. I think he knows, “It’s not the same.”

“Now David realizes, ‘I’m not a monster. I’m a lower-weight monster beating up little boys. But when it comes to these massive guys, I’m just another good fighter. I’m not a monster.’

“Arthur is a real monster. So I think he is [Benavidez] something like: “I’ll go back to 168. I’m a monster at this weight.” These massive guys, these guys my size? No, I’m not an elite fighter at this weight,” Thompson said.

If Benavidez faces IBF/WBC/WBO lithe heavyweight champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), he will likely be chopped in the same manner as Callum Smith was earlier this year on January 13.

Beterbiev destroyed former WBA super middleweight champion Smith, breaking him down with relentless pressure before stopping him in the seventh round. Smith is a bigger puncher than Benavidez, but he was unable to stop Beterbiev even though he landed several powerful punches.

Beterbiev withstood the blows and continuously punched the stork-like 6-foot-10 fighter until he was pulled out by his trainer, James “Buddy” McGirt, in the seventh round.

The future of Benavidez

“He [Benavidez] he gets stronger in the second half against a smaller team, but now he’s up there with a guy [Gvozdyk] who throws punches that are massive and can take punishment and give a little bit,” Thompson said. “We see him fading away. He’s just another decent, good boxer at lithe heavyweight.”

Benavidez had a arduous time defeating Caleb Plant, defending him in a hard-fought fight that went to a 12-round unanimous decision.

Now that Benavidez is moving up to the 168-pound division after starting at 175, he may not be as good as he was in the past because it’s not basic for fighters to get back into the division when their weight has gone up like his.

“If he really wanted to impress me, he would have fought Arthur. Yes,” Thompson said when asked if Benavidez could beat Canelo Alvarez. “David took some massive hits from the massive guy [Gvozdyk]. I don’t see David being that forceful.

Benavidez will not fight Beterbiev if Artur loses the fight against Bivol on October 12. He’ll be out of the picture if that happens and he faces Bivol. It would be just as arduous a fight, but in a different way. Bivol’s connecting punches and boxing skills will be too much for Benavidez.

“This guy [Gvozdyk] he can punch. He put Adonis Stevenson on life support. I don’t think Canelo can keep David away from him. I think he’s too compact for David,” Thompson said.

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Boxing

The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

In 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.

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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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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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