Boxing
Emanuel Navarrete: If Denys Berinchyk wants to trade, I will do the same
Published
8 months agoon
By
J. HumzaEmanuel Navarrete defeats Eduardo Baez in his final defense of his WBO featherweight title in August 2022. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
Just when it seems that Emanuel Navarrete has found his opponent or is on the verge of defeat, he is able to carve out a victory.
Will Saturday be another victory for Navarrete that will add another world champion belt to his collection, or will the risk of facing another forceful opponent result in defeat?
Navarrete will face undefeated Denys Berinchyk at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. The 12-round fight will be the main attraction of a three-fight TV program (10 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT). At stake will be the vacant WBC lightweight world title.
The 29-year-old (38-1-1, 31 knockouts), from San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico, is currently ranked No. 1 in The Ring at 130 pounds. Navarrete likely defended his WBO junior lightweight title in his last fight on November 16, fighting to a majority draw against Robson Conceicao. In this fight, Navarrete defeated Conceicao twice.
Moving up a weight to face Berinchyk, Navarrete will face a talented tactician who has had an illustrious amateur career. Navarrete understands what Berinchyk is capable of, but he is confident that he can win.
“Berinchyk can fight in many styles,” Navarrete said in an interview with The Ring last week. “He is an Olympian. He is a very hard player to face. We sparred and fought with fighters similar to him. We did very well against them. A few days have passed since the fight and we are ecstatic with the way we prepared for this fight.
“Whatever he offers, we will do everything we can to convince him to implement our game plan. If he wants to stand and trade (in the middle of the ring), we will do the same or another option. If he wants to box and utilize the ring, we will do that too and make him fight our style.”
Under WBO rules, Navarrete, if he defeated Berinchyk, would have 10 days after the fight to decide whether to retain his WBO lightweight or WBO 130-pound title.
Navarrete will try to win the world championship belt in four different weight classes by defeating Berinchyk. This is a significant risk because his punching power, which he has relied on at times in previous fights, as well as his height and reach, may or may not carry over to 135 pounds as it did when he fought at 122, 126 pounds. and 130 lbs.
Both Navarrete and Berinchyk are listed at 5’7″.
Navarrete was a -600 favorite on Thursday, but Berinchyk poses a sedate test for Navarrete, who admits Saturday’s fight won’t be straightforward.
“We know these divisions are full of fighters with a lot of talent,” said Navarrete, promoted by Top Rank. “Players at the top of their form. I think one hand washes the other, winning the fight against Berinchyk and winning the title, we will have many fights against other top fighters in the division. There will be a lot of risk in these fights. Why? Because of the level of opposition. So this is the biggest risk of my career so far because there will be many top and talented players on the horizon. Many of these fighters are currently in the top 10 of the division and that is the biggest risk of my career.”
Navarrete became one of the top fighters in the lower weight classes. He took on every challenge, defeating several top fighters in the division, including Isaac Dogboe (122 pounds), Joet Gonzalez (126 pounds) and Oscar Valdez (130 pounds).
With dominant victories, Navarrete has shown that he is vulnerable, especially in recent fights. In August 2022, Navarrete knocked out Eduardo Baez with a left hook to the body to defend his WBO featherweight world title. At the time of his arrest, Baez was ahead on two judges’ scorecards.
There was a clash with Liam Wilson on March 2 last year in which he was taken down early in the fight, with some claiming he benefited from a long count before rallying behind schedule to stop Wilson. Conceicao had his moments in the Navarrete fight, winning exchanges throughout portions of the fight.
Berinchyk, 30, could pose a physical challenge on Saturday night. Despite recent fights in which he showed he couldn’t win, Navarrete is confident that his mental fortitude will allow him to prevail.
“When a hard moment comes in a fight, there is no way out,” Navarrete said. “There may be frustration, fear or anger. All these things happen and it’s strenuous to wrap your head around it all. And yes, I had hard moments, but I had a forceful and winning mentality.
“I can’t explain it. I think it’s more of an instinct to move forward. What happens, happens. And what lies ahead of me, I have always given my all to win at all costs, which allowed me to come out on top, also thanks to my preparation, which is always 100 percent. I attribute the fact that I came out victorious due to all of these factors.
A victory over Berinchyk could put Navarrete in a fascinating and unifying fight with WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson. There is also a possibility that Navarrete will face recently crowned IBF lightweight world champion Vasily Lomachenko.
Both Navarrete and Lomachenko are promoted by Top Rank.
Navarrete could try to unify at 135 pounds. There is a possibility that the lightweight division will be the highest weight class or the last weight class in which Navarrete will compete before he hangs up his gloves for good. Navarrete believes he can still fight at the highest level and win more championship titles.
“I always dreamed of becoming world champion. Now we are fighting for my world title in four different weight classes. There’s nothing to it. Always been like that. I always work strenuous and strive to achieve my goals.
“In my career, I have always been focused. I want to spend more time with my family. I want to be in a better economic situation. Health too. These things still motivate me to work strenuous. Continue to do good things and think about long-term goals when you retire from the sport. I want to live comfortably and without financial problems in my adult life and in the lives of my children.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
5 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
7 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
2 weeks 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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