Czuchadzki

IT’S TIME FOR A SAUDI ARABIA-RUN BOXING LEAGUE

Someone influential like Bob Arum (Top Rank) or Garry Jonas (ProBox TV) or whoever needs to talk to Turki Alalshikh before he leaves about forming a fresh boxing league where all the boxing organizations, massive and petite, are united under one roof.

If ever there was a time for boxing to finally have one organized boxing commission (with Turki providing the funding), this is it. The window of opportunity is closing swift.

-Hands of iron

Jason Langendorf answer: While I appreciate this perspective – and believe that even the improbable is worth trying for the benefits you describe – I’ll borrow a saying from the kids (which may be a decade too venerable now): .

And by “that” I mean Alalshikh. Yes, the money from Saudi Arabia’s biggest sports broker seems pretty good. But at what existential cost? Even if you don’t mind Turki very strong ties to very suspicious things – and, by the way, you I have no problem with that – there is a petite issue of handing the whole thing over to a man who has a history minor abuses against other sports facilities and who, honestly, appears to have little knowledge of boxing.

Neither Arum nor Jonas (who, in full disclosure, owns BoxingScene) are likely to give up their hard-earned positions of power, even for a mountain of oil money. The same goes for Eddie Hearn, Oscar De La Hoya, Al Haymon and Frank Warren. Will enough fighters, lured by the quick cash grab, move to a league run by Turks to consolidate the necessary boxing talent to make it work? Maybe. We saw it with LIV Golf. But honestly, how does it work in golf so far? And all boxers have to do is look to their MMA brethren to see how all but 1% are treated in an unaffiliated, monopolistic league run by a malignant narcissist.

I’m not saying that thoughtfully bringing together a lot of the best fighters under one tent isn’t possible or shouldn’t be done. Boxing desperately needs guidance from a set of stronger organizational principles and a philosophy that puts fighters and fans first. But too much about Alalshikh’s past — and even his current behavior — suggests he’s not the guy to bring them to the sport.

REWAL ENNIS-CHUKHADZHIAN IS BULLSHIT

Bullshit that Boots might have to rematch the guy [Karen Chukhadzhian] he won every round he faced and everything he did [Chukhadzhian] earned his rematch by defeating three opponents outside the ring to earn a shot at the title.

-Street cleaner

Lucas Ketelle answer: Let’s be forthright: this fight was no one’s priority.

The IBF’s decision to resurrect this fight came as a surprise, and to make matters worse, Jaron Ennis’ promoter, Matchroom Boxing, lost the bid. Karen Chukhadzhian’s promoter, P2M-Box Promotion, won the bid, so brace yourself — this potentially tedious fight could be headed to Germany. It’s a familiar story, but seriously, what’s the reason?

Ennis already put on a masterful display in their first meeting (and it was tedious). It was also part of the undercard for the Gervonta Davis-Hector Luis Garcia PPV. Chukhadzhian’s recent wins over Michel Marcano and Pietro Rossetti, combined with a win over Harry Scarf, somehow earned him another shot at the title? Really? Despite the fact that they had no relationship?

This disaster for the IBF in ranking uninspiring opponents is reminiscent of a poorly executed Game of Thrones spin-off — confusing fans and turning a potentially intriguing scenario into a numb spectacle while also highlighting the lack of depth in the welterweight division.

We have top-class players like Ennis, Eimantas Stanionis, Brian Norman Jr. and Mario Barrios. But beyond them, the waters get murky. The next league includes Conor Benn (still embroiled in drug-testing trouble), Souleymane Cissokho and Jin Sasaki.

Maybe Teofimo Lopez will drop down to the division to stir things up. And in the third tier we have Giovani Santillan, Alexis Rocha, Blair Cobbs and Shakhram Giyasov. Chukhadzhian probably fits in here.

Without Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. the division looks feeble. Prospect Paddy Donovan could make a move, but for now the division is uncertain.

Ennis deserves a fight that will actually generate interest, not just another rematch doomed to oblivion. I agree. Let’s hope the boxing business doesn’t give Ennis a TKO.

NAOYA INOUE SHOULD FIGHT JOHN RAIL CASIMERO

Casimero vs Inoue outside of Japan is a fight fans want

-Commander

David Greisman answer: The current junior featherweight category is a perfect example of a fighter who can be deservedly undisputed. still having work to do to really clear out the weight class.

Inoue came in at 122 and quickly defeated Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales, winning all four major world titles, and then defeated top contender Luis Nery. Earlier this month, we saw Inoue win a close fight with TJ Doheny. Inoue is expected to return before the end of the year.

The three remaining contenders? Murodjon Akhmadaliev (former unification titleholder who lost his belts to Tapales via split decision), Casimero and Sam Goodman.

Casimero has a fight scheduled for October, so it is unlikely he will face Inoue. Although Casimero has not done much in the junior featherweight division since arriving in 2022, he is still in good form since a surprising loss to Jonas Sultan in 2017. Casimero held the WBO bantamweight title at the same time that Inoue was demolishing other titleholders at 118. Unfortunately, Casimero he had to pull out of his fight with Paul Butler at the last minute and was later stripped of the WBO belt. This led to Inoue fighting Butler for the undisputed bantamweight championship.

While I would also like to see Inoue vs. Casimero, I disagree with you that it has to take place outside of Japan. Yes, Bob Arum said Inoue would fight in the United States again, as Inoue has done three times now. But I have no problem with Inoue fighting in his home country, where he is a huge, huge star. Fighting in Japan is the most lucrative place not only for him, but for his opponents. There is a reason Fulton willingly chose to travel abroad to defend his titles against Inoue.

MODERN BOXERS WHO NEVER REACHED THE TOP

Who is on the shortlist of the greatest players since 2000 to never win a world title?

-Dustin

Lucas Ketelle’s response: Who is the greatest fighter since 2000 to never win a world title? Buckle up, because this list is long. Some names will be all too obvious, while others might make you think, “How could you forget?” guy?” So to keep the chaos under control, we’ll break this down like you would organize your fantasy draft for the NFL season, right down to the tiers.

Players who kind of won the titles (but not quite): Let’s start with Alexander Povetkin. Sure, he held the WBA “regular” title from 2011 to 2013, but let’s be forthright — Wladimir Klitschko was the real champion with the WBA “super” title. Povetkin was basically a junior world champion. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist won the WBC interim and diamond belts after knocking out Dillian Whyte in 2020, but world title? That never materialized. It’s like trying to summon Bloody Mary – you can summon her all you want, but she doesn’t show up.

Right behind him? Lucas Matthysse. Talk about bad luck. He’s lost two controversial split decisions to Zab Judah and Devon Alexander, fights that are still being argued about like you’re in Jack Rabbit Slim’s wondering if Mia Wallace really drew that square. Matthysse won the WBC interim title by stopping Ajose Olusegun, but his massive chances for glory have come and gone — he lost to Danny Garcia and was stopped by Viktor Postol. Like Povetkin, Matthysse won the WBA “regular” title in 2018, but Keith Thurman was the “super” champ. Close, but nowhere near it.

Top players who never got a chance: And now it really hurts — the guys who never got a shot at the title. Junior welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr. and junior lightweight Albert Bell. They’re still lively, so there’s time, but they’re on the same path as Ike Ibeabuchi. Remember Ike? The heavyweight who beat David Tua but never got a whiff of a title before his career imploded. If Barboza and Bell don’t get their shot soon, they’ll be sitting in the same forgotten booth in boxing purgatory.

The “almost won” club: Martin Murray? Ouch. He abandoned Sergio Martinez in Argentina — Martinez’s fight, remember — and he almost pulled off the upset of the century. It still stings. He also lost a split decision to Arthur Abraham, a fight that could have gone either way. Murray’s resume is a collection of near misses, and none stings more than the fight with Martinez.

Then there’s Derek Chisora, who’s a legend in the UK but has never won a heavyweight title. He had his chances against Vitali Klitschko and Tyson Fury but fell compact both times. Despite that, Chisora ​​is probably more beloved than half the guys who have actually won the titles.

And let’s not forget Sergiy Derevyanchenko. His history? Brutal. He was 0-3 in middleweight title fights, but look who he lost to — Daniel Jacobs, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermall Charlo. Two of those losses were very close. Jacobs won by split decision, Golovkin by majority decision. You could argue that Derevyanchenko deserved one of those belts, but the judges disagreed.

Rocky Juarez, anyone? He has a practically lifetime membership in the “so close, yet so far” club. Juarez was 0-4-1 in world title fights, with his closest chance being a draw with Chris John in 2009. That was his chance, but he just wasn’t meant to be.

The “It Just Didn’t Happen” Club: David Tua was the epitome of power—a mini-Mike Tyson. Remember his 19-second knockout of John Ruiz? Of course you do. It’s one of those moments that gets passed around like venerable YouTube clips. But when Tua got his one shot at the title against Lennox Lewis in 2000? Lewis fought his way to an simple win, and that was the end of Tua’s title dreams. He never got another shot.

Close But Not Close Enough Club: Luke Campbell? That’s tough. He was an Olympic gold medalist in 2012, but as a pro, he just couldn’t get over the hump. He lost to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jorge Linares in title fights, and the Linares fight was a split decision. That was his moment, but he didn’t quite get it done. Then Ryan Garcia took him out with a body shot, and Campbell’s history was made. Close, but not close enough.

And finally, Ryan Garcia – his own club: Ah, Ryan Garcia. The TikTok king and Gen Z boxing star. His loss to Gervonta Davis was for the secondary WBA “regular” title. And then he missed weight in a fight with Devin Haney, which ended any chance of a title. After all the hype, Ryan still doesn’t have a title.