Boxing
Hamzah Sheeraz, who is targeting a middleweight world title and unification, remains interested in fighting Chris Eubank Jr
Published
4 months agoon
By
J. HumzaHAMZAH SHEERAZ believes he has three, maybe four, middleweight fights left before he moves up a weight class.
The 6-foot-3-inch world title challenger started his career at super welterweight (154 pounds) before adding the six pounds required to start a middleweight campaign that began in March 2022. Since then, the 25-year-old he won six of six – including victories over Liam Williams and Austin Williams – to further his reputation as a true force in the division.
In a recent conversation with Sheeraz, he outlined some of his plans for the time he will remain at 160 pounds.
“I think I have three fights left at 160 pounds. My plan is to win the world title and then potentially unify it. But I don’t know how realistic that is because the weight is demanding. And each time it gets tighter and tighter. I think in an ideal world there would be three or four 160-pound fights at most.
Sheeraz and his promoter Frank Warren spoke to various members of the media at a recent event celebrating the remarkable success of Queensberry Promotions in Riyad on June 1. The five-man team faced Eddie Hearn’s selection of Matchroom Boxing representatives but the Essex team was annihilated by the final score of 10-0 to Queensberry.
The five fights themselves produced plenty of action and drama, with Sheeraz – elected captain of the Queensberry team – stopping Austin Williams in the 11th minute.vol WBC title final eliminator round.
“When I was first told that I had been given the role of captain, I thought: OK, great, you’re the captain,” he said. “Get four points. It wasn’t until fight week that we had real charisma and energy in the team, and it was good.
“I would like to thank Willy Hutchinson hugely for strengthening it, definitely because of his character. It definitely has character. And we all supported each other. The good thing is that before my fight, Willy and Nick Ball won.
“It kind of stimulated the game, put us in a good mood and we immediately took the lead. Everyone did their part and did their part. Even the “Huge Bang” [Zhilei Zhang]. He was as much a part of the team as anyone else.”
Sheeraz hopes to hear news about his next fight in the weeks before camp starts in July. The Slough fighter is not only the mandatory challenger to Carlos Adames’ WBC title, but is also the number one contender for the WBO, whose champion is Janibek Alimkhanuly. This Saturday (June 15), Adames will defend his belt in a fight against Terrell Gausha, and on July 13, the IBF belt holder Alimkhanuly will put his championship on the line against Andrei Mikhailovich. But one name and one fight that still interests Sheeraz is Chris Eubank Jr.
“I think if the fight takes place in the UK it makes sense. Huge British middleweight fight. I think apart from fighting Conor Benn, fighting me is the only one that makes sense for him. And I believe he will get what he wants, financially. I understand he was asking for a lot. But we need to look at who is now supporting these programs and who is in charge. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.
“And as long as he keeps making him joyful, I’m sure he’ll get what he wants or what’s right. And he will be able to share the ring with me or come over whenever possible.
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Boxing
Ho Ho Ho: Naoya Inoue Will likely face Sam Goodman on Christmas Eve
Published
2 hours agoon
October 4, 2024Author: Sean Crose
If boxing fans are to be believed, they will have a nice present for themselves this Christmas. As the outlet’s Mike Coppinger reports, Noya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion of the world, is in the process of finalizing a December 24 contract with Sam Goodman. Goodman, who is largely unknown, will enter the ring as a prohibitive underdog, yet he will receive the opportunity of a lifetime to face perhaps the greatest dynamic fighter in the world. The fight will take place in the early morning hours here in the States, but should be broadcast live, like all of Inoue’s fights.
The 25-year-old Goodman will travel from Australia to Tokyo for this fight. He is undefeated at 19-0, although perhaps the biggest name he faces is TJ Doheny, whom he defeated last year. Stylistically, Goodman strings together his punches effectively. He also has sleek footwork and knows how to put pressure on his opponent. On the other hand, an undefeated challenger has narrow punching power at best. Indeed, only eight of the man’s nearly 20 fights have not gone to the final bell.
This could prove to be a problem for Goodman when he faces Inoue in December. The 31-year-old multi-division champion has a 28-0 record and has stopped all but three of his opponents in the distance. Moreover, Inoue has faced many opponents, from Antonio Nieves to Nonito Donaire to Stephen Fulton. Added to this is Inoue’s incredible self-confidence and thunderous power. They don’t call him “The Monster” for nothing. Inoue’s bodywork in particular is something terrifyingly attractive. Perhaps the Japanese fighter is no longer simply considered great – perhaps he is now seen as an all-time great.
Goodman will certainly have a lot of work to do if this fight happens (which it probably will). Still, warrior careers are relatively low adventures. The degree of slippage becomes apparent after the age of thirty, as is the case with Inoue. However, such slippages have not been recorded yet, and Inoue has already fought twice this year. Even if Inoue starts to lose strength, he will still be a real force to be reckoned with. Great fighters tend to fade at a slower rate than their in-ring peers.
Boxing
Nick Ball and Ronny Rios make weight ahead of their fight in Liverpool
Published
4 hours agoon
October 4, 2024Both Nick Ball and Ronny Rios weighed under 126 pounds as featherweights ahead of Saturday’s WBA title fight at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Ball (20-0, 11 KO), 27, is defending the title in his hometown for the first time.
Rios (34-4, 17 KO), 34, is making his third attempt at winning the world title and first at featherweight. The ball hit the scales at 125.1 pounds; his challenger weighed slightly more at 125.6 pounds.
WBA Featherweight Championship – 12 rounds
Nick Ball – 125.1 pounds
Ronny Rios – 125.6 pounds
British and Commonwealth Junior Welterweight Title – 12 rounds
Henry Turner – 139.7 lbs
Jack Rafferty – 139.7 pounds
Bantamweight – 10 rounds
Andrew Cain – 117.1 pounds
Lazaro Casseres – 116.1 pounds
Lithe – 10 rounds
Jader Herrera – 134 pounds
Oliver Flores – 134.6 pounds
Bantamweight – six rounds
Jack Turner – 120.1 lbs
Gonzalo Corinaldesi – 118.1 pounds
Junior welterweight – six rounds
Nelson Birchall – 130.5 pounds
Mark Butler – 129.9 pounds
Welterweight – four rounds
Lucas Biswana – 145.1 pounds
Jakub Laskowski – 144.1lbs
Lightweight – eight rounds
James McGivern – 135.1 pounds
Requ Facundo Arce – 135.4 lbs
Middleweight – four rounds
Joe Cooper – 159.1 pounds
Lukasz Barabasz – 159.1lbs
Junior featherweight category – four rounds
Brad Strand 122.5 pounds
Marvin Solano – 125.7 pounds
Junior middle category – four rounds
Walter Fury – 156.1 pounds
Dale Arrowsmith – 155.1 pounds
Boxing
Ryan Garcia Reveals Plan, May Fight ‘Before He’s Eligible’
Published
4 hours agoon
October 4, 2024LOS ANGELES — Golden Boy Promotions partner Bernard Hopkins suggested this week that Ryan Garcia’s return to the ring could come much sooner than expected.
“People will hear” about Garcia’s plan “very soon,” Hopkins told World Boxing News and other reporters this week. He will compete “before he can get back in the ring.”
Garcia was last seen taking Devin Haney repeatedly to the canvas during his career-best performance in April at the Barclays Center in Modern York.
Drug testers later discovered the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine in the brilliant fighter’s system, and the victory was declared null and void, meaning the result was invalid. Garcia was suspended for one year, backdated to the time of the fight.
Despite the drug scandal and controversy outside the ring, Garcia remains linked to large fights against the likes of Mario Barrios and even Gervonta Davis in a rematch. However, none of these fights could take place earlier than April 2025, when Garcia’s ban expires.
However, to get around this suspension, reports from earlier this summer suggested that Garcia could compete in a boxing event in Japan – potentially in the coming months.
“Ryan Garcia is in good mental and physical condition” and is ready to fight before “returning to the ring,” Hopkins told WBN and other media during a conference in Los Angeles.
“When you find your inner self, your soul, your spirit, you have the opportunity to reflect. These reflections can change your life and career.
“This may be the greatest blessing Ryan Garcia has received, having time to reflect. Now, as he returns to the second act, he can look back at the first chapter,” he said.
Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar de la Hoya recently met with Garcia. Hopkins told us what they talked about. “He told me he misses boxing. I looked him straight in the eye and asked, “You miss boxing, don’t you, Ryan?”
“And he said, ‘Yeah, man,’ and he literally smiled. He stood up, we embraced and hugged. It’s almost over. Ryan has a plan. His plan will be great.”
Hopkins then suggested that Garcia’s next moves would be announced by the fighter himself and would likely be in line with what was reported this summer – an end-of-year fight, possibly an exhibition, possibly in Japan.
“[That’s] “isn’t too far off” from the reality of the situation, Hopkins said.
“It’s going to be something large. I believe this is an advertisement for what’s next, when he can get back to the sweet competition in a loaded weight class.
“There are a lot of good fights Ryan can have. Boxing needs fights that Ryan will be a part of.”
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