Boxing
Do Canelo and Gervonta Davis need Turki Alalshikh?
Published
3 months agoon
CANELO Alvarez and Gervonta Davis are the two biggest fighters regardless of weight class, but neither of them have worked with Turki Alalshikh.
There are just over two months left until the first anniversary of the Riyadh boxing season. Since Tyson Fury fought Francis Ngannou in the “Battle of the Worst” on October 28, 2023, Saudi control of the sport has tightened like an Olympian clinging to a gold medal. For many, his Excellency’s involvement has revolutionized professional boxing.
The best fought the best, the side-fights were full of 50-50 fights, and some of the most popular boxers competed regularly – life entered the fighting niche.
Where die-hard fans got the occasional “substantial fight” but were often frustrated by the boxing business that prevented or delayed numerous super fights. Meanwhile, casual fans sometimes had trouble fully engaging with shows featuring boxers they were unfamiliar with, beyond the lack of compelling narratives or rivalries.
What’s more, despite the majority of Riyadh’s season taking place in the Middle East, Turki has a sturdy card lined up on American soil, with Terence Crawford, Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller set for August 3. Then, on September 21, Anthony Joshua will face Daniel Dubois for the IBF Heavyworld title at Wembley. Stadium as part of the Riyadh season.
Indeed, some argue that Saudi involvement is slowly changing boxing in the UFC. Although instead of Dana White as the sole leading figure, you have Turki along with leading promoters like Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum. And instead of all the fights being shown on ESPN in the US and TNT Sports in the UK, everything is broadcast on DAZN worldwide.
But unlike the UFC, being a cash cow gives you the freedom to do whatever you want. Anthony Joshua is a bit of an anomaly in that he has a career-long contract with Matchroom. But his status allows him to work with any promoter or broadcaster, while negotiating a specific purse for a given fight.
In fact, there is only one person who makes more than Joshua in the boxing ring and that is Canelo. After leaving Golden Boy and De La Hoya in 2020 to become a free agent, Canelo is like a monkey swinging from tree to tree, always looking for the best fruit. It doesn’t matter what branches he breaks, there is always another path for him because of the commercial value he provides.
However, last week we witnessed a power struggle in the realm of boxing. Turki was open to a potential Canelo-Terence Crawford matchup until the American moved up to 154 pounds and did just enough to defeat Israil Madrimov to become a four-division world champion. After announcing his newfound disinterest in a Canelo-Crawford fight, the Mexican superstar essentially told Turki that he was the boss and the negotiations would be conducted on his terms.
Suddenly, the boxing world saw the first signs of hostility from His Excellency, who responded by claiming that Canelo had no interest in tough fights since suffering a convincing defeat to Dmitry Bivol in 2022. And he claimed that the former non-weight king was afraid to face Crawford and David Benavidez.
After a string of successful fights involving elite fighters, Turki has made a habit of scheduling fights that he and most fans want to see, including Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, which would establish the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. In addition, one of the most anticipated fights of the year between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for all the belts at 175 pounds on October 12.
Turki entered the boxing world to put an end to politics, effectively uniting former arch-enemies Hearn and Warren. However, his recent online spat with Canelo may show that he doesn’t have all the power and may have to play second fiddle to a few boxers at the top.
From the outside, Canelo only needs the Turk for one fight – Benavidez. The Guadalajara native has openly demanded $200 million to share the ring, a sum no other promoter can match. Still, if Canelo decides to try to win a world title in a fifth weight division, such as cruiserweight, he could seek additional compensation from the Saudis.
As for Davis, he once said that Turki had to send him two Ferraris so he could compete in the Middle East. His Excellency responded by offering two gloves instead. Tank is not at the same commercial level as Canelo, but this was another example of a cash cow refusing to comply with Turki’s suggestions.
Davis doesn’t swing from branch to branch like Canelo, but he’s a bee with access to a lot of honey in the form of PBC. The Baltimore boxer is one of the biggest stars in America, and after headlining his last ten fights, Davis is raking in millions of dollars. The Davis-Garcia fight broke PPV records, raking in more than $100 million.
Like Canelo, Davis may only need to work with his excellency if he wants the extra pay for a particularly risky fight. Shakur Stevenson is considered the toughest opponent for Tank. Time will tell if Davis can bring in the Saudis to make it happen.
In conclusion, Turki Alalshikh has undoubtedly had a positive impact on boxing. However, those who have benefited the most from his Excellency’s involvement are probably the boxers who have not previously been given life-changing rewards and career-defining opportunities. One example is Martin Bakole, who scored his biggest win over Jared Anderson and will likely appear on more Riyadh Season cards.
However, for Canelo and Davis, who have the luxury of picking any opponent they want while also earning a ton of money, the Riyadh season may remain separate from them. However, the more everyone cooperates in boxing, the more memorable the nights will be for the fans.
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Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
16 hours 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.
Boxing
Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory
Published
1 day agoon
November 21, 2024Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
Boxing
Heavyweight who knocked out Lewis to break Tyson’s record days after the feat
Published
3 days agoon
November 19, 2024Mike Tyson will miss his final record-breaking days after becoming the oldest former heavyweight champion to walk through the ring.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” reached an all-time high in Texas on Friday night, returning from a two-decade absence. However, Tyson gave the achievement five days later to former Lennox Lewis conqueror Oliver McCall.
On Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, the former WBC heavyweight champion returns to action and will face veteran Stacy Frazier in a fight scheduled for four rounds. At age 59, McCall will set the record for a sanctioned fight, beating Tyson by fourteen months.
McCall was born in April 1965, and Tyson’s mother gave birth to him in June 1966. “The Atomic Bull” hopes to score his 60th career victory tonight. He enters the fight with a record of 59-14, including 38 knockouts.
The Chicago native believes his continued activity over the last 19 years will be what separates his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday.
“I’m ready. I’ve been training here in Nashville for a few weeks now, but I’m always in shape,” McCall said. “It will be a completely different match than what the fans saw on Friday.
“I think being lively has a lot to do with it. I haven’t fought in five years because of the pandemic and a few things that didn’t work out.
“If you look at my record, since 2005 I have fought 25 times, of which I have won 19-6 times against quality fighters and won various regional titles.
McCall fights without financial motivation. He sees his fighting days approaching and is already planning his post-retirement plans.
“I want to do this for another year. This means I will be 40 years into my career as a professional boxer. Then I want to train and become a manager. I want to return the favor and assist the next generation of players try to become world champions.
“I came here to Nashville and contacted the manager who took me to the title [Country Box] promoter Jimmy Adams. I’m learning a lot about this aspect of the sport. I love the players here and everything that happens with Country Box.”
The Country Box 25 gala will also feature eight-round fights between super bantamweight Elon DeJesus (8-1-2, 7 KO) and Dominique Griffin (5-7-2, 2 KO), as well as super middleweight fighters. Sean Hemphill (16-2, 10 KO) fights Bryant McClain (6-5-2, 1 KO).
Airy heavyweight Isaac Carbonell (8-0, 5 KO) will face Antonio Louis Hernandez (7-19-4, 4 KO) in six-round fights; Joel Mutombo (6-0, 4 KO) vs. Kevin Torian (3-2, 3 KO) in a cruiserweight fight.
In a four-round fight, Ryan Zempoaltecatl (2-0, 1 KO) will face Raymond Chacon (10-64-1, 2 KO).
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