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Clarke wins the British title, Ballingall is the boss and Paddy is in charge

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25th of May

Clarke won the vacant British title after KOing Ellis Zorro. In the early action, Zorro was smartly striking on the back leg, using his jab and great footwork to avoid attacks from the slower Clarke. Zorro continued to hold Clarke back, and when Clarke got inside, he kept Zorro hooks and uppercuts.

Zorro received a warning for holding on at the start of the eighth, after which Clarke was able to force him into the ropes and landed a powerful right that sent Zorro delicate in the knees and retreating. Clarke went close and three strikes from the right club felled Zorro and he was counted out. Clarke, 33, earned his seventh KO/TKO win.

Jamaican-born Clarke, who defeated current WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith in the amateur category, represented Jamaica at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Clarke then went on to represent England and Great Britain, winning a silver medal at the European Championships, a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and competed at the Tokyo Olympics. Zorro, 31, lost his undefeated streak when he was knocked out in one round by Jai Opetaia in December.


Paddy Donovan crushed Lewis Ritson after a ninth-round stoppage. In the early rounds, the southpaw Donovan boxed in a chilly and controlled manner, mostly on the retreat, with Ritson closing in behind the high guard, using his jab to set Donovan up to the right side.

Donovan changed tactics in the seventh set, coming to the front and taking on Ritson. He continued this tactic successfully in the eighth set, stopping Ritson in a corner kick and then on the ropes for the second half of the round, firing off hooks and several neck-breaking uppercuts. Ritson fired counter-punches from time to time to convince the referee that he was still in a fight, but only a minor one.

Donovan whipped Ritson into a frenzy again in the ninth and bombarded him with punches when the referee stopped the fight. Donovan defended the WBA continental belt for the second time, winning his fifth consecutive victory at the distance.


Gary Cully defeated Francesco Patera by unanimous decision. Patera knew he would have to take the fight to the inside against the 6-foot-2-inch Cully, and he did so first, concentrating on body shots with Cully, using right jabs and straight left jabs to score.

Tired at the end, Patera made a storming finish to take tenth place and get closer to the finish line. The score was 96-94 (twice) and the score too wide was 98-92 for Cully.

The winner had already suffered a crushing defeat when Mexican Jose Felix knocked him down twice and stopped him in three rounds last May, but his victory over Reece Mold in November went some way to restoring his reputation.

Two-time European champion Patera once again showed his excellent skills and tactical knowledge, but here he lacked effectiveness. He had a 10-1 record in his last eleven fights, and in July 2023 he lost on points to the extremely talented Keyshawn Davis.

Gary Cully (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)


May 24

Lucas Ballingall survived a last-round knockout to overtake Kaisee Benjamin. These two were well matched. Ballingall was more mobile and quicker but put on a bit too much showmanship, while Benjamin was solid throughout.

Neither of them is a massive hitter, so Ballingall focused on quantity, attacking in quick bursts of punches, while Benjamin threw fewer but more true punches. Ballingall’s clever boxing and faster movements gave him the advantage, and with swelling affecting Benjamin’s vision in his right eye, Ballingall had a good advantage in the tenth.

He was tired and Benjamin landed a series of hooks to the body. An exhausted Ballingall desperately clung on as he lost his mouthguard, gaining a few seconds of respite. The right shook Ballingall and then three punches knocked him down with just 16 seconds left in the fight.

He stood up and grabbed Benjamin to survive the few remaining seconds. Ballingall won twice, 96-93 and 95-94. He also won the vacant IBF European title. Benjamin suffered back-to-back losses to Dalton Smith and Sean McComb, but won his last two fights.


In the second minute, Papin dismissed the faded Chilemba. Chilemba showed all his experience, boxing smartly in the first round, frustrating the risky Papin.

Papin launched a ferocious attack in the second quarter, pushing Chilemba into the ropes and then tried to take Chilemba to the floor, but the Malawian blocked multiple shots and wriggled out of the ropes.

A left hook sent Chilemba to the ropes again, and this time there was no escape. Papin bombarded Chilemba with punches until Chilemba was on his back on the canvas, and the referee immediately stopped the fight.


May 23

Franklin practiced shooting against the limp but resilient Vargas. A right uppercut knocked down Vargas in the fourth quarter, and although Vargas was badly injured and bleeding badly from the nose, Vargas managed to beat the count and fought valiantly in the fifth quarter.

Tardy in the sixth turn, with Vargas against the ropes, Franklin connected with left and right hooks and Vargas fell to the canvas. He quickly got to his feet when the bell rang before the referee could start the count, but Vargas wisely didn’t go out for the seventh goal.

Jermaine Franklin (James Chance/Getty Images)


May 22

Batyrzhan Jukembayev stopped a tired Ivan Redkach in five rounds on Pro Box TV. Jukembayev, faster and more true with his southpaw jabs, led throughout the match.

It was Yukembayev’s fifth straight victory as he tries to earn a title shot. He was knocked down and lost after retiring in a match against Subriel Matias in May 2021, so he will be hoping to get a chance for revenge now that Matias is the IBF champion. However, his only current ranking is No. 12 in the WBA.

At the age of 38, Redkach looked like a candidate for retirement. After going 19-1-1, he dropped to 5-6 in his last activity, and this was only his second fight in three years.


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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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Boxing

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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