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Eimantas Stanionis eyes comeback fight in Lithuania

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AFTER his management contract expired and he waited two years to make his first defence of his WBA welterweight title, Eimantas Stanionis still dreams of bringing massive boxing to his hometown of Kaunas, a Lithuanian city of 300,000 people.

Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) endured a tough two years after a fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. that repeatedly fell through. He became the WBA Regular champion with a split decision victory over Russian Rajab Butayev in April 2022.

Former amateur opponent Gabriel Maestre rose to the challenge and eventually allowed Stanionis to defend his position with a unanimous decision victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia on Cinco de Mayo in May.

The 29-year-old Lithuanian is embarking on the next phase of his unattached career as his management contract with Shelly Finkel comes to an end.

“I’ve always wanted to fight in Lithuania, so I’m seriously considering it,” Stanionis told Boxing News in an exclusive interview. “It’s a dream that I’ll have to fulfill at some point, we’ll see. The fans deserve to see me fight in Lithuania because they’ve proven to be true fans. They wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning to watch me fight in the US. I definitely owe it to them.”

With a population of 2.8 million, Lithuania is petite compared to America’s 333.3 million people, so organizing an event here can be arduous.

Stanionis, the first fighter to win anything in his country’s professional boxing, spent his entire career fighting in the U.S. with trainer Marvin Somodio. A European gold medal and then an Olympic appearance in 2016 secured his professional career on the other side of the Atlantic.

“It would be very nice because there has never been any professional boxing in Lithuania,” Stanionis explained. “There were a few shows a few years ago, but nothing like this, sporadic shows from time to time. There has never been anything like a world title fight or someone fighting for a chance at the title, so it would be great if it happened. There are many options, maybe it won’t happen in my next fight, but it has to happen.

“I have many options now after a very arduous period in my career, so I’m cheerful. It was demanding because I lost fights at the last minute. I don’t live in America, I only train there, I live in Kaunas. It costs a lot of money to participate in these camps. I had two years of training in the US without a fight. I love this sport, but I just couldn’t perform for two years.”

Stanionis’ profile has exploded in his homeland despite a two-year layoff. With fellow welterweight champions Mario Barrios (WBC) and Jason Ennis (IBF) unlikely to jump at the chance to fight in Kaunas, who would?

Believe it or not, Lithuania’s only other elite boxer hails from the same city and also fights at 147 pounds. Can former world title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas, currently ranked 4th by the WBC, deliver a night the country will never forget?

“It would be really good for Lithuania, and the fans would love it,” Stanionis replied with a lightweight laugh. “I just don’t want to say it, because if I say I want to fight him, he might think, ‘That kid is cocky,’ or something like that.”

“Basically we’re from the same town and we know each other, it would be weird if I called him out. If it happens, it happens.”

“It’s been a bit crazy lately. It’s demanding to go anywhere, every time I go out people take pictures of me. Honestly, I like a still life. I have to go out and meet a lot of fans, do sponsorships, I always have to do something. When I’m in Lithuania, there’s a lot of activity, there wasn’t so much before I became world champion. Sometimes I get a bit fed up with it.”

The 20,000-seat Žalgiris Arena, home of the fearsome Žalgiris Basketball Club, would be a likely destination for Stanionis’ return to Kaunas. However, Terence Crawford’s move to super welterweight makes 147 pounds more arduous to predict. With the extensive majority of the weight class being fought in the United States, it’s highly likely that his next fight will also take place in America.

“After all these years, I understand the business a little better,” Stanionis added. “I have good people advising me on what to do next, but I’ll be on my own. Crawford’s already moved up to 154, Errol Spence is also moving up to 154. The WBA could force me to fight someone for the title, nobody knows for sure.

“Unification fights with Mario Barrios and Jaron Ennis would be great, they’re fighting, but things change quickly. Fighters are coming up, [Isaac] Pitbull Cruz would be a great fight. Welterweight has always been a good division in boxing, I think it’s getting sizzling again.”

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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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Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory

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Lauren Price

Lauren 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.

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Heavyweight who knocked out Lewis to break Tyson’s record days after the feat

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Heavyweight Oliver McCall returns 2024

Mike 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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