Connect with us

Boxing

Fighting Words: Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach isn’t perfect, but neither are her circumstances

Published

on

We want steak, but it looks like we’ll have to settle for fish.

It’s not the main course we were hoping for, but it shouldn’t leave an unpleasant aftertaste in our mouths. At least not considering the circumstances. And it’s certainly better than going hungry.

That’s the situation with Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ next fight, which could end up pitting the WBA lightweight champion against WBA junior lightweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. Nothing is official yet, but boxing reporter Dan Rafael recently said it was possible for the December 21 pay-per-view, while ESPN’s Mike Coppinger told Roach is the favorite to start the fight.

It’s normal to be disappointed by this news.

It’s fair to want better opponents for Davis.

It’s unfair to blame Davis – at least not this time.

Davis (30-0, 28 KO) has become one of boxing’s biggest stars thanks to his obvious talent and thrilling performances that showcase his skill, ring sense and fight-changing power. Video of Davis’ eighth-round victory over Frank Martin on June 15, posted by Premier Boxing Champions on July 15: it has amassed 5.8 million views on YouTube.

Martin was undefeated and was ranked in the top 10 in the lightweight division prior to this fight. Davis has faced other respectable opponents over the past few years, and some of them look even better in hindsight, such as Tank’s 11th-round technical knockout of Mario Barrios in June 2021 and the unanimous decision over Isaac “Pitbull” . Cruz in December 2021

Barrios, then a junior welterweight, moved up to 147 pounds and defeated Yordenis Ugas to win the world title. Cruz moved up to 140 pounds and dethroned Rolando Romero, another Davis victim, for the WBA belt. Cruz recently lost that title to Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela. (More on Valenzuela a little later in this column.)

However, boxing fans wanted Davis to move beyond the second division at 135 pounds and test his talent against other top fighters. There were many reasons why these fights didn’t happen over the years.

This time they just weren’t available.

The other world champion titles are held by Vasily Lomachenko (IBF), Shakur Stevenson (WBC) and Denis Berinchyk (WBO). Negotiations between Davis and Lomachenko are over, Lomachenko’s team said he didn’t want to return to the ring for the rest of the yearthat he doesn’t feel motivated to fight and prefers to spend time with his family.

The news was disappointing, though not entirely surprising, given Lomachenko’s long career, dating back to his long time in the amateurs, as well as what we had heard from him and how little we had seen of him.

Lomachenko fought just once in 2022, winning a decision over Jamain Ortiz. He fought just once in 2023, challenging Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight title and dropping a close decision that some thought could have gone Lomachenko’s way. He will end 2024 after just one fight, defeating George Kambosos Jr. in May. in the fight for the vacant IBF belt.

In the post-fight interview, Lomachenko dedicated the victory to his father, who played such a significant role in his career.

“It’s a title for him because after Haney I want to end my boxing career.” – said Lomachenko. “After that fight with Haney, I proved that I am in this sport and I don’t need to continue. But my father sends me messages every day and every time he sends me my latest fights, my highlights, and I feel like he wants to continue, he wants to win the title again. And he told me, “Hey, we have to do this again.” We have to fight for the title again.” It was a hard decision for me because I’m tired. But I love my family. I love my father. I respect my father. My father built me ​​in boxing and in life. And that’s the title. This is my father’s victory.”

Stevenson, a free agent after leaving Top Rank, eventually signed with Matchroom and announced a fight with former junior lightweight title champion Joe Cordina on October 12 undercard Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitriy Bivol. Stevenson then suffered an injury in training and had to withdraw from the fight against Cordina. It is expected to return in 2025.

Berinchyk doesn’t have name value nor does he seem to have the attributes that Lomachenko and Stevenson have.

William Zepeda, who is the No. 1 contender for all four major world titles, initially turned down a fight with Stevenson, apparently because his wife was about to give birth. However, Zepeda has signed a contract for a November fight with former junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer.

Some thought Cruz would get a rematch with Davis. Cruz competed against Davis in their first fight and is one of only two men to last the distance against Tank. (It should be noted that Davis has been dealing with a hand injury.)

That belief disappeared when Cruz lost to Valenzuela in August. Will Valenzuela not only win Cruz’s title, but also inherit the opportunity?

“I have a rematch clause [with Cruz] now, so I’m waiting, but if not, then Teofimo [Lopez] and second [140-pound] “masters” Valenzuela recently told FaceOfBoxingTV. What about the rumors that he turned down the Davis fight? “It wasn’t actually an offer. It was more like I had just been asked about Tank. I said not at 35 and we never really delved into it. There were no details or anything. I don’t know if you consider this an offer, but it happened.

Valenzuela has fought in the 135-pound weight class for most of his career and was a lightweight as recently as December of last year. However, you can’t blame him if he thinks junior welterweight is better for his body. You also can’t blame Davis if he wants to stay at lightweight now, even though he moved up to 140 pounds before the Barrios fight.

That leaves Davis with few options, and among lightweights, none are particularly attractive. Once you get past the three other titleholders and Zepeda, the rest of the rankings z “Ring” magazine. and International Boxing Rating Council are mostly made up of prospects who are still developing (Raymond Muratalla, Keyshawn Davis, Andy Cruz, Zaur Abdullaev) or who have recently failed to live up to the hype (Kambosos and Martin).

Edwin De Los Santos is not classified by these observers, but he is rated by the WBA and therefore could fight for the belt. De Los Santos scored a knockout over Valenzuela in 2022, although he also punched a downed Valenzuela one round earlier. However, his last fight was a decision loss to Stevenson in November 2023.

Since there isn’t much space on 135, Roach can enter from 130. And from the Washington street side.

This is another reason why this fight is worth fighting.

If Tank fails to face any of the top lightweights and does not wish to remain inactive until the end of 2024, a fight against Roach would be an acceptable substitute. Or at least it’s as good as it can be, even if it doesn’t satisfy us as much as a steak dinner.

Roach (25-1-1, 10 KO) has won six in a row since his only loss, a decision that came in 2019 in favor of Jamel Herring. His biggest victory came last November when Roach defeated Hector Garcia by split decision to win the world title. Garcia is another former enemy of Tank; Davis stopped him in nine rounds in January 2023 at lightweight, about 10 months before Garcia’s loss to Roach.

It was fun to watch Roach’s progress. It’s still demanding to imagine him causing Tank too much trouble. However, the fight could be organized and staged in Davis’ hometown of Baltimore or, more likely, in DC itself. Although this is Roach’s hometown, it was here that Davis headlined the fight against Hector Garcia. The fight will do well at the box office.

Another issue is pay-per-view. Davis is one of the biggest stars in the United States. Some may purchase the stream just to see him perform; the opponent takes them less into account, if at all. For others, the prospect of Davis vs. Roach may be intriguing enough to be worth watching, but not intriguing enough to commit to it.

Boxing fans can and should talk to their wallets. Just because there’s a fight going on doesn’t mean you have to buy into it. If you really don’t feel like eating fish, you may want to avoid eating at a restaurant until steak is available again.

As for Davis, just because a huge fight isn’t available doesn’t mean he should wait on the sidelines. I’d rather see Tank back on the battlefield, even if he just had to fight his way through and knock down an armed enemy. It’s better than sitting around collecting rust.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

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

Boxing

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

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

Published

on

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.

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