Boxing
Conway and McKenna prepare for Prizefighter semi-finals on thrilling night in Japan
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaAARON MCKENNA and Kieron Conway will face off in a thrilling Great Britain v Ireland semi-final after both recording knockout victories in the Prizefighter quarter-finals.
The first night of action for Matchroom’s novel venture in Japan saw all four quarter-finals take place, with fireworks galore during the four middleweight bouts at the Yamato Arena in Suite.
Conway, from Northampton, got off to a flying start in the first fight of the evening, knocking out China’s Ainiwaer Yilixiati in the seventh round. Yilixiati had been unbeaten since 2017, but Conway showed his class and it was a powerful right hook that finally forced the referee to stop the fight with a minute left in the seventh round.
With his spot in the top four secured, Conway could sit back and wait to see who he would face in the other quarterfinal of the evening, when McKenna would face Florida’s Jeovanny Estela in a clash of two undefeated middleweights.
Estela started the fight well and landed a powerful right hook in the first round, which McKenna took well. And the Los Angeles-based Irishman quickly gained the upper hand in the fight and staggered Estela with a powerful left hook in the fourth round.
From there, McKenna showed how to break Estela down, landing tough punches to the head and body. It started out as a one-sided beating, but Estela somehow made it to the final round on his feet.
McKenna, however, did not dispute the split of the knockout bonus that night, which sees $100,000 split between whoever finishes the fight before the end by securing a win via stoppage with less than a minute remaining in the 10th round.
In the main event, Kazuto Takesako won a unanimous decision victory over Durham’s Mark Dickinson in the quarter-finals. The pair were evenly matched and had their own pockets of success throughout the bout. By the 10th, both opened fire in search of a delayed stoppage but were still standing when the final bell sounded.
The scorecards were read in Japanese, meaning Dickinson had no idea he was the underdog until Takesako raised her hand. The judges’ scorecards read 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92, all in favor of the Tokyo native.
The fourth and final quarter-final of the evening, and the nominal highlight of the evening, was the Japan derby between local favourites Riki Kunimoto and Eiki Kani, a rematch of their March clash in Nagoya.
That night, Kunimoto won by knockout in the sixth round, but Kani clearly came in looking for revenge. He didn’t have much success in the first two rounds, but started landing with real authority in the third as the fight heated up.
But Kunimoto roared in the fourth round and sent Kani back to the ropes with a right hook 60 seconds into the round. Kunimoto’s relentless attack followed, but Kani somehow managed to hang on.
A left hook in the final minute of the round hurt Kani again, and with more punches raining down on him, the referee seemed to be considering stopping the fight. Kani made it to the bell, but it was more of the same early in the fifth, and the referee decided to step into the ring with 1:55 remaining.
Kunimoto will now have a chance to seek revenge on Takesako, who is the only man to have defeated him. The pair met in May 2021, with Takesako securing a first-round knockout, but three years later they will meet again with a place in the final at stake.
“There’s still a long way to go,” said Frank Smith, Matchroom CEO, of the evening. “But it was an electrifying start.”
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
2 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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