Connect with us

Boxing

Eddie Hearn wants the 5-0 KO artist to face Jai Opetaia ‘as soon as possible’

Published

on

Eddie Hearn wants 5-0 KO artist to face Jai Opetaia ‘as soon as possible’

IBF champion Jai Opetaia was considered a bogey in the cruiserweight division from the moment he first won the world title, but Eddie Hearn believes there is a 200-pound fighter in front of him who can beat the Australian, despite just five professional fights under his belt.

Opetaia defeated Mairis Briedis twice to become a two-time champion, but while the Sydney-born southpaw chased unification, his division mates were reluctant to face him.

Instead, the 30-year-old has been forced to fight smaller names during his reign, winning by knockout in all five of his combined defenses over the last three and a half years.

However, Opetaia is hopeful that the upcoming fight between WBA and WBO unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and fan favorite David Benavidez can change his fate and open the door to a three-belt unification fight later this year.

However, while Opetaia looks to the winner of this duel, Eddie Hearn told First Round TV’s Darren Barker that he wants to effect a split between Opetaia and 2024 Olympian Pat Brown “as quickly as possible,” with Brown eyeing a significant rise in the rankings in 2026.

“Pat’s next fight will also be announced this week, headlined by the first week of April.

“Listen, you know how highly I think of Pat, and I know you do too, I know everyone else does. I just think this guy is an absolute monster. I want to pair him with Jai Opetaia ASAP.

“I know he needs another two, three, four fights, but we can do it quickly. You can really see it [elite] guys oppose him? I know Jai is on another level, but he has a granite beard, a great IQ and hits so strenuous.

“I want to give Pat a must-see in the world title fight by the end of the year.”

Brown will be competing on the card at Planet Ice in Altrincham on Friday, April 3 Opetaia has agreed to face Brandon Glanton on Sunday, March 8 in Las Vegas.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Boxing

Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis

Published

on

Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating a prime Lennox Lewis

Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.

Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.

However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.

In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.

“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”

At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.

In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.

As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Jermell Charlo says Derrick James has changed with fame

Published

on

Image: Jermell Charlo says Derrick James changed as success grew

“Derrick James, he started getting a little more players and a little more buzz, and I feel like our communication has changed,” Charlo told Brian Custer.

Charlo said that as James built a larger stable, there was less hands-on time spent with him and more trying to control the gym environment. He claimed that James wanted things done his way, including telling players to remove dogs from the gym during training sessions and changing the atmosphere that helped build their success.

Charlo has been out of the ring since his loss to Saul Alvarez in 2023, and James recently split from Errol Spence Jr. A coach once considered one of the safest hands in the sport is suddenly facing public criticism from two of his biggest names.

“He wanted it his way,” Charlo said. “Coach needs us. Don’t overdo it, coach. Serene down, coach. I was your first champion.”

He also pointed to his camp leading up to the Alvarez fight, saying the support around him wasn’t the same when he needed it most.

“You don’t enter into a world title fight like that,” Charlo said.

Charlo still believes he can regain his spot in the junior middleweight division, and talks about a possible fight with Sebastian Fundora are ongoing later this year. His confidence hasn’t changed, but his patience with ancient alliances has noticeably changed. Sometimes a rift begins when success changes the room.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’

Published

on

Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: “This is going to sound mad”

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to face each other later this year in what could be one of the biggest British boxing events of all time.

Another British legend, Naseem Hamed, presented the course of the fight in a surprising way.

Fury had his ring returned within a a decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this monthshaking off ring rust at the age of 37 and allegedly preparing for a showdown with Joshua that the “Gypsy King” was set to take place this summer.

However, ‘AJ’ instead maintained that he would prefer a warm-up fight first, with the Londoner expected to return to action in July, ahead of a long-awaited meeting with his arch-rival in November.

I’m talking to talkSPORT BoxingHamed was looking forward to this match and suggested that a draw could be on the cards.

“Who do I think will win the fight between AJ and Fury? Well, that is the question and everyone wants to know.

“Years ago, Tyson had this awkward style for me where he could make AJ look stupid, that’s true. Now everything has changed. Tyson seemed to have backed off a little bit.

“But with Tyson Fury you never know, maybe one night he’ll show up and box amazingly and do what he did to Wilder. Those first few rounds [against Makhmudov]I was a little disappointed that he didn’t go from the start.

“This is going to sound crazy to you, but would it be unbelievable if I said it could be a draw?”

It is unclear whether Fury will also fight in the summer or whether he will avoid risking a lucrative romance with Joshua and wait patiently on the sidelines.

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