Connect with us

Boxing

Countryman Jai Opetaia ready for Tim Tszyu to return in style against Bakhram Murtazaliev

Published

on

Jai Opetaia expects Tim Tszyu to learn from his fight with Sebastian Fundora and dethrone Bakhram Murtazaliev as the IBF junior middleweight champion.

The 29-year-old lost for the first time in March when, in a fight for the WBO and vacant WBC titles, Tszyu suffered a solemn injury to Fundora’s elbow that left him unable to see or compete in the second round.

He agreed to fight the lumbering Fundora belatedly following an injury suffered by his previous and significantly different opponent Keith Thurman. After the fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which he lost by decision, it was also suggested that Tszyu should not have been allowed to continue after seeing the corner cut.

Having sacrificed his title and undefeated record, he is looking to gain another at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, where Murtazaliev makes his first defense of the vacant title he won in April by stopping Jack Culcay.

Regardless of the circumstances of the defeat to Fundora, a second defeat in a row would prove disastrous for the Australian’s career – Fundora is also close to rewarding victory with a lucrative fight against Errol Spence – but ultimately compatriot Tszyu supports him in victory.

It was a significant period for Australian boxing. On Saturday – under Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol’s card in Riyad, Saudi Arabia – Opetaia stopped Jack Massey to defend her IBF cruiserweight title, and Skye Nicolson overtook Raven Chapman to defend her WBC featherweight title.

With the announcement that Liam Paro will defend his IBF junior lightweight title on December 7 against Richardson Hitchins, it is possible that the oft-neglected fighting culture will celebrate the existence of four world champions by the end of 2024.

“He was a bit unlucky – unlucky with the cut and stuff like that,” Opetaia told BoxingScene. “But it’s all part of learning. I’m sure they’ve learned a lot and I’m looking forward to his return to form. I support him with all my strength.

“It’s good to see another Australian on the world stage. Few of us end up here; this is common with Poms [Britons] and Europeans and Americans, but for people from our forest it is a long way to get here. I support him with all my strength.

“It’s a great fight. I will support Tim.

“I just hope Tim wins. He’s fucking Australian – we support each other. Once he’s home, we want to decapitate each other. But when it’s our nation and he flies our flag and he’s one of us, we support him all the time. I hope he fucking beats everyone.

“It would be great if the Australian market worked as a whole team. You have all these Pom Poms; you have so many Pommies fighting on the same card and they create Matchrooms and such.

“It’s a little different for us because if we were to do an Australian fight night, something like what the UFC does – they put all the Australians on the same damn card – if we did something like that, I’d be honored to do it. part of it. I would even take a pay cut to be a part of it because it would just be a historic thing for Australia and that’s what it’s all about – being a part of things like this.

“We were in a fucking pub cheering for margaritas [when Paro defeated Subriel Matias]. We had a crazy day that day. It was amazing. Fuck, we celebrated for him.

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn has made no secret of his desire to have a homecoming fight for Paro in Australia in the future and potentially have Nicolson, Opetaia and heavyweight Justis Huni on the card. In the event of a victory over 31-year-old Russian Murtazaliev, Tszyu is expected to retain the fierce sense of independence that has helped anger the influential Turki Alalshikh.

“The stakes are always high,” Opetaia continued. “Me; Tim; we’re at the peak of our careers. Every fight has high stakes. We don’t go into fights thinking, ‘Fuck, you know…’ It’s all risky business. One punch can change everything. We’re in it; at the risk our lives; sacrificing ourselves every day. It’s all high stakes.

“For someone watching the fight outside the ring, it may look different. “He can do it; can do it.” But when you get in that ring and punch it, anything can happen, so we have to take this shit seriously – and I’m sure he does. He always does it. Always delivers.

“[Tszyu’s independence is] Good. He had Australia behind him – for us the paths were completely different. He cooperates with Tim Tszyu with No Limits, with whom he had a contract [broadcasters] Fox, and Fox still controls everything in the Australian boxing world, so it’s easier to promote him, especially with the Tszyu name.

“I’m not trying to discredit him at all – obviously he does tough work and wins fights. He is a great fighter. I saw him as a newborn kid rising through the ranks; We played for Up-to-date South Wales teams as teenagers, so I saw his tough work. I know it’s a long process and he deserves some of that preparation and the opportunity to sell the fight in Australia – I’ve been on the scene for a few years and that name Tszyu spans two generations. It’s good for Australian boxing; gives other Australians gigantic fights; these are gigantic cards. Everything is positive.”

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

Published

on

Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The 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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

Published

on

Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd 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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

Published

on

Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN 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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending