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Erik Bazinyan predicts Jaime Munguia knockout, followed by call for Canelo Alvarez

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Erik Bazinyan has fought super middleweights before, but on Friday night he faces the toughest challenge of his 11-year career when he faces Jaime Munguia, one of the best fighters in the weight class.

Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) and Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) will face off on Friday at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, headlining a Top Rank event broadcast on ESPN.

Munguia will be fighting for the first time since suffering the first loss of his professional career to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May. Munguia was knocked down but not knocked down, coming off the boards to fight 12 hard-hitting rounds with the super middleweight king.

Bazinyan’s last fight came two days before Munguia’s fight, but it was a fight to forget. The Armenian contender, who hails from Quebec, Canada, fought solid against Shakeel Phinn and was lucky to get a draw.

Now Bazinyan is looking to do what Alvarez failed to do — earn a stoppage win over Munguia — and then apply his up-to-date opportunity to put his money on Alvarez as the Mexican superstar searches for viable opponents for his May 2025 return.

“My goal is to knock Munguia out and say, ‘Come on Canelo,’” Bazinyan told BoxingScene. “If I get the knockout, it’ll be a huge statement. It’s only going to be the biggest fights from now on.”

Before the lopsided fight with Phinn, Bazinyan boasted victories over veteran goaltenders Ronald Ellis, Alantez Fox and Marcelo Coceres. Those victories made Bazinyan a top contender by the four major sanctioning bodies – No. 2 (WBO), No. 4 (WBA), No. 6 (WBC) and No. 7 (IBF).

According to DraftKings, bookmakers have rated Munguia as the favorite at -1,200, while Bazinyan is the underdog at +700.

“I’m very excited. This is the best opportunity I’ve had in my career,” Bazinyan said. “I’ve had a lot of offers, but I was teenage. Now I’m 29. I’m mature physically and mentally. I’m ready. It’s now or never.”

Bazinyan doesn’t believe Munguia is taking him lightly given his questionable recent performance.

“We’ll see – don’t let people see me,” Bazinyan said. “I wasn’t myself in that fight with Phinn. I had sinus problems two weeks before the fight. I was diseased for 10 days. It was a bad training camp for me and it showed in the fight. I felt like a rookie and I had no energy after the second round. It was supposed to be an effortless fight, but I didn’t want to make excuses right after it. I also hurt my hand in the second round and it was swollen for over a week. If I was 100%, I wouldn’t have had any trouble beating him, but it’s OK. It happened. No excuses. I’m a man. I’m grateful I didn’t lose.”

After watching the tape, Bazinyan, trained by Marc Ramsay, believed he had won the fight six rounds to four. The close encounter also gave Bazinyan up-to-date energy.

“Training for the biggest fight of my career has made a huge difference,” Bazinyan said. “It will change my life and career. The timing couldn’t be better. I am disciplined and full of energy. When I win, I can become one of the faces of Armenian boxing.”

Munguia, meanwhile, wants to prove that he simply failed against one of the best players of his generation. To better prepare for the Top Rank promotional debutMunguia reunited with Hall of Fame fighter and trainer Erik Morales after two fights with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

“Munguia did very well in the Canelo fight,” Bazinyan said. “He did what he could. He’s a very tough guy. He has a good jaw. But he can be beaten. He gets punched a lot. I’ll raise my punches and surprise him.”

Bazinyan is also trying to thwart the Mexican contender, who is scheduled to face his stablemate Christian Mbilli, who is also trained by Ramsay and, like him, is represented by Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger. Top Rank, which co-promotes Mbilli with Estephan, He is keen on the Munguia vs Mbilli match in 2025.

Munguia, 27, will be fighting for the third time this year; his last fight was a ninth-round knockout victory over John Ryder in January. He also won a close fight with Sergiy Derevyanchenko in 2023 that earned him Fight of the Year honors, but Bazinyan is trying to escape the shootout whenever he can, taking down the aggressively attacking Munguia.

“I don’t think that’s the most reasonable solution. [to engage in a war] because he has more experience,” Bazinyan said. “That’s his style. He just fights. He doesn’t move. I have to be shrewd. I can fight. I can box. I’m not a one-way fighter. So it’s not going to be effortless to just do something and beat me.”

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Boxing

George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.

Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.

The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.

Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.

The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.

“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.

“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.

“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”

Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.

“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].

Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.

“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.

Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.

“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.

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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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