Promoter Eddie Hearn believes the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson will be “massive” even if Tyson loses his rematch with undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21. Eddie believes that the Joshua-Fury fight could still happen even if Fury suffers another defeat to Usyk.
According to Hearn, Fury will decide whether to continue his career and face Joshua after his second defeat to Usyk. With money still on the table for Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) to pocket, it’s challenging to imagine him turning it down.
Taking cash after a loss?
The upcoming Fury-Joshua fight at that point would have been viewed by people as a money grab and many would have turned up their noses at booking it on PPV if Fury hadn’t redeemed himself in some way by beating a top heavyweight like Daniel Dubois. .
Unfortunately, this seems completely unrealistic as Dubois is too newborn, powerful and threatening for Fury, who turns 36 on August 12 and looks much older than his age.
A second defeat for the Gypsy King against Oleksandr would see Fury’s popularity plummet around the world, but not in the UK, where fans cling to their aging fighters.
Hearn must consider what could happen to Joshua if he pulls the trigger on the Dubois fight on September 21, as the fight could be a sure bet if AJ is cooked by the newborn talent.
Although Hearn doesn’t want to admit it, there is a very real possibility that Joshua and Fury will be defeated in their next fights, making the clash between them an old-timer fight. Do Hearn and Joshua want to stoop to the level of fighting Fury when both have suffered defeats? Are they so necessary?
Hearn remains hopeful
“No, I think we will. It will be up to Tyson Fury,” said promoter Eddie Hearn iFL Television to the question of whether the Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight will never happen if Tyson loses the rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21.
Fury’s popularity will decline too far for a fight between him and Joshua to interest fans outside the UK if he is defeated in the rematch with Usyk.
Next time there will probably be no saving the Fury. Will Joshua and Hearn want to take on Fury if he gets knocked out by Usyk?
“If he wins this, he will obviously want to fight the Usyk-Fury winner unquestionably,” Hearn said of his plans for Joshua if he wins the September 21 fight at Wembley Stadium.
“Now, whether Fury wins or loses, AJ can still fight Fury in a huge fight, but a lot will depend on Tyson and how long he wants to fight because he is still quite newborn [nearing 36]but will he want to fight if he is defeated by Usyk? [again]Hearn said.
Eddie needs to see the bigger picture because there is a huge chance that both Joshua and Fury will lose their next fights, making their “mass fight” the equivalent of a geriatric exhibition. Fans, at least those outside the UK, won’t want to pay to see it.
“Does he want to throw it in? Does he want to come back and fight [Joshua]? Was [AJ] okay,” Hearn said. “We know we will continue next year and see what happens after that. We want a plan. We don’t like to have one fight and no plan.
Hearn talks about a plan for Joshua, but it seems likely that he will try to pick up the pieces of AJ’s career, getting him back into the next phase of his rebuild following his September 21 loss to Dubois.
“That’s why we’re already talking about what will happen next if we manage to win in September. AJ-Usyk, if so [Joshua] he will win in September,” Hearn said when asked what the second most essential fight after Fury-Joshua was.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
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.
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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