Boxing
By the numbers: Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan
Published
5 months agoon
By
J. HumzaShakur Stevenson returns to the ring on Saturday to defend his WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark, Recent Jersey (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ at 6:10 p.m. ET) in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing card that includes a junior lightweight title fight between WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster and perennial title challenger Robson Conceicao.
Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) is a former featherweight and junior lightweight champion. He also won silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics while representing the United States. After winning the WBO junior lightweight title with a 10th-round TKO victory over Jamel Herring in October 2021, Stevenson added the WBC belt with a unanimous decision victory over Oscar Valdez in April 2022. But Stevenson lost the belts on the scales when he failed to make weight for his title defense against Conceicao in September 2022. He then moved up to 135 pounds and scored a sixth-round TKO victory over Shuichiro Yoshino in April.
In November 2023, Stevenson defeated Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 116-112) to win the then-vacant WBC lightweight title in a forgettable fight that broke the 38-year-old CompuBox record for most punches landed in a 12-round fight. De Los Santos landed only 40 total punches and only 14 power punches. Stevenson didn’t fare much better, landing only 65 total punches, including 19 power punches.
Regardless, Stevenson returned to the fight at home.
“It’s good to come back home to Newark, where a youthful legend is being celebrated, and to defend my title at 135 for the first time,” Stevenson said on May 7 after the fight was officially announced.
Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs), from Yerevan, Armenia (but based in Hamburg, Germany), has never fought for a world title. In his first fight outside of Germany, he suffered the only defeat of his career, a unanimous decision to Frank Martin last July in Las Vegas.
“I respect Shakur Stevenson as a champion, but I’m here to shock his hometown fans and win the WBC lightweight championship,” Harutyunyan said. “This is the chance of a lifetime and I’ll take full advantage of it.”
Let’s take a look at the title fight by the numbers. This report uses information from ESPN Stats & Information and CompuBox.
1. Stevenson will defend the WBC lightweight title, which he won in July 2023 by defeating De Los Santos.
3. This is Stevenson’s third lightweight fight. He made his lightweight debut in April against Yoshino.
13. Unlucky number 13 for Harutyunyan, who, after winning his first 12 professional fights, lost a unanimous decision to Martin, which was his first defeat in his career.
7. Stevenson is the youngest fighter to win a third-division title since Naoya Inoue did so in 2019. Stevenson is also only the seventh fighter to do so in history.
1. Harutyunyan is looking to become the first German fighter to win the lightweight world title. Marco Rudolph lost by eighth-round technical knockout to Artur Grigorian in 1998 for the WBO belt.
6. Stevenson is the sixth fighter to become a three-division champion and also win an Olympic medal. The other five fighters on this list (Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather) have been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Stevenson is also the sixth fighter to win titles in the 126-, 130- and 135-pound weight classes, the youngest of that group to accomplish this feat.
46.83. Stevenson lands 46.83% of his power punches, which is third best according to CompuBox. He also has the lowest percentage of his opponents being struck (16.7%) in all of boxing, according to CompuBox.
In Their Own Words – From Wednesday’s Press Conference
Harutyunyan on this possibility: “I was born in Armenia and grew up in Germany. I came here to fight Shakur Stevenson in his hometown. This is a great opportunity for me. I will give it my all and give a great fight.”
Harutyunyan on his last fight in the US: “I came to Las Vegas last year. I fought Frank Martin. It was a great fight. I know Frank Martin knows he lost the fight. I told everyone I was going to come back to the States. And now it’s done. I’m back here.”
Harutyunyan on his preparations for the fight: “It’s a great opportunity. I had a great training camp and I’m well prepared. I’m ready for this fight. I know Shakur Stevenson is a good fighter. He’s a world champion. We both fought in the Olympics. He’s a silver medalist and I’m a bronze medalist. Now we’re fighting for the world championship.”
Stevenson on Harutyunyan’s praise during Wednesday’s press conference: “You’re trying to act really humble, suck up to me, and pretend like you’re not really coming here to win. No, you’re coming here to win, man. I can tell. He doesn’t sound as confident as I thought. I hope he’s coming here to fight.”
Stevenson on his approach to fighting: “I’m going to take him to a level he’s never been at. I’m just going to be myself. I’m going to go out there and show my talent and my level. I think I’m one of the best in boxing when it comes to hitting and not getting hit. There’s a certain way to do it, and I want to show the fans that all this moving around is something I don’t really have to do. I can sit in the pocket and hit you too.”
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
19 hours agoon
November 23, 2024In 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.
Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
2 days agoon
November 23, 2024Former 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.
Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
3 days agoon
November 21, 2024One 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.
‘MIKE TYSON WON’T FIGHT EVER AGAIN!’ – Gareth A Davies
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