Boxing
Entertainment machine Floyd Masson wants to make his fights easier as he returns to the ring on August 17
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaOnce-defeated cruiserweight contender Floyd Masson has a problem.
His fights are too fun.
The soft-spoken left-hander from Recent Zealand, who boxes out of Brisbane, Australia, learned that the tough way in his match against left-handed Belgian Yves Ngabu last September.
Masson (13-1, 7 knockouts) The fight started off pretty well, but as the fight turned into a bloody exchange of punches, it was the sturdy Ngabu (23-2, 17 KOs) who repeatedly got the upper hand in the exchanges.
In the fourth round, Masson was hurt by a punch, but the ring doctor allowed the fight to continue. Masson, who is known for his gigantic tank, tried to dig deep, but the massive hands of Ngabu, 35, eventually wore him down. He was knocked down in the sixth round, and although he beat the count, referee Will Soulos decided he had seen enough.
For Mason, who prides himself on his energetic style, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
That style has served him well in the past. In December 2021, in a fight with former world title challenger Mark Flanagan (26-9, 19 KOs), he went toe-to-toe with a notoriously tough fighter and won a 10-round majority decision. Masson was down in the first round, while Flanagan was on the floor in the fourth.
Two fights later, in April of last year, he put on an equally thrilling performance against Italian left-hander Fabio Turchi (23-3, 16 KOs). In that fight, both boxers bounced around the ring for the full 12 rounds. Blood was shed. Black eyes were earned. The teak-hard Turchi quickly found a home for his left hook, but Masson fought through the pain to alternate between boxing and brawling, finishing the fight with the stronger of the two, winning by unanimous decision 117-110 and 115-112 twice.
The bloody fight ended with both boxers hospitalized. It was the fight of the year on Australian shores.
These performances leave fans with fond memories, but usually do not translate into a long in-ring career.
That’s why Masson’s next fight is so vital. The boxer-puncher will face Joshua “Chucky” Francis (15-2-1, 11 KOs), an aggressive orthodox fighter from Auckland, Recent Zealand, who has proven to be particularly threatening in the early rounds of his fights. The pair will meet at Brisbane’s Mansfield Tavern on August 17 in the main event of the next Premier Boxing Series card, which will be broadcast live and free on streaming service 7plus.
The question is whether Masson will be able to resist the urge to fight when the first massive punch lands on his chin.
“Our styles fit together,” said Masson, who considers Arturo Gatti his all-time favorite fighter. “Of course he wants to come and fight, and I like to do that, too. I wanted him to have a good fight when he came back.
“In my last fight I didn’t live up to expectations, I made some mistakes, I could have improved on some things, but unfortunately I had to take some time off because I got injured, so I had to shake it off.
“But I started training actually two days after I lost the fight, so I was in the gym from then on until I got over the injury.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into the game, I want to test myself and have a proper fight, not put in so much time training to fight someone I know I can beat.”
Masson says the elbow injuries that plagued his career are now a thing of the past since he underwent successful surgery to remove several of the affected bones.
“I broke a few bones in my elbow again during the Turchi fight,” said Masson, who hails from the regional town of Te Awamutu in the Waikato region on Recent Zealand’s north island
“Going into camp before my last fight, I couldn’t even brush my teeth. I was in pain. I went in and had surgery – the third one I’ve had on my elbow – and now I should be fine.
“I came back to camp and it was amazing to be able to throw with both hands 100 percent and block throws with my hand. It was really cold.”
So can we expect a calmer and more focused Masson in the ring against Francis?
“I say that in every damn fight, so I almost don’t want to say it,” he said. “Because in camp I’m going to box really well and I’m not going to get hit, I’m going to do my thing and I’m going to box really nicely. And as soon as the fight happens, I’m going to do the opposite of what I’m saying. So I probably should say, ‘I’m going to fight this fight,’ and that probably means I’m going to box really nicely.”
“But it’s about discipline and supporting your skills. Then, instead of immediately getting hit and trying to make a fight out of it, I can make it a lot easier on myself if I stick to my game plan and box and not make it a ‘my turn, his turn’ fight.”
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
3 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
4 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
1 week 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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