Boxing
Is Dubois a real threat to Joshua? What did Bivol gain by defeating Zinad?
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaDaniel Dubois could earn the right to fight Anthony Joshua for the vacant IBF title with an impressive eighth-round victory over Filip Hrgovic on Saturday.
Dubois defeated Hrgović from behind to win the interim IBF heavyweight title. With Deontay Wilder – the other candidate to fight Joshua – losing by KO to Zhilei Zhang on the same card, there is a mighty likelihood that the next one will be an all-British fight between Joshua, from Hertfordshire, England, and Dubois, from London.
Last Saturday, WBA lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol was scheduled to face Artur Beterbiev, but Beterbiev suffered an injury during training and Bivol faced overdue substitute Malik Zinad. After the end of this fight, the fight with Beterbiev and Bivol was postponed to October 12.
Now that the dust has settled after a huge weekend of boxing, we take a look at what’s next for two fighters who secured key victories.
What level of threat does Dubois pose to Joshua?
From his seat just a few feet from the ring at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, Joshua will see some things he can potentially exploit and others he needs to watch out for in Dubois’ performance against Hrgovic on Saturday.
Dubois (21-2, 20 KO) returned to London from Saudi Arabia as the IBF interim heavyweight champion after Hrgovic was stopped with cuts in Round 8 and Dubois had the advantage. The full IBF world title could potentially hang in the balance when Dubois faces Joshua, as expected, at Wembley Stadium in London on September 21, where Joshua will attempt to become a three-time world champion.
While Joshua might start as the favorite against Dubois, he cannot become complacent against someone who has Dubois’ strength, spirit and drive.
However, 34-year-old Joshua (28-3, 25 KO) will see how easily Hrgovic landed right hands on Dubois, and the 26-year-old Londoner did not make any changes that could limit the success of his Croatian opponent. Joshua’s right hand most recently destroyed former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in March. Joshua scored a spectacular knockout of Ngannou in Round 2 when a right hand landed cleanly on the former UFC heavyweight champion’s chin and left him unmarked.
It was a brutal KO, and if Dubois offers Joshua the same right-hand punching opportunities he gave Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KO), Joshua could make it early tonight. Joshua has much stronger hands than Hrgovic, and while Dubois showed plenty of stamina to absorb so many right hands last weekend, he was stopped twice (by Joe Joyce in 2020 and Oleksandr Usyk last year) and knocked down three times in the first round. round led by Kevin Lerena in December 2022 before recovering to win Round 3.
But Dubois also hits tough, as evidenced by Hrgovic’s cuts.
Dubois also showed great efficiency against Hrgovic and can be expected to set a high pace against Joshua, trying to prevent Joshua from settling down and getting his footing in for massive shots. Despite Hrgovic’s constant right hand, Dubois showed great heart by staying on attack and applying pressure.
This will be an intriguing contest and Dubois shouldn’t be excused from pulling off an upset victory. But this is Joshua’s fight to lose. He enters the fight red-hot, with plenty of confidence and in devastating form after recording three stoppage victories in the last 12 months.
What did we learn from Bivol’s sixth-round TKO victory over Zinad?
If you weren’t keen on Bivol vs. Beterbiev before last weekend, Bivol’s latest fight might convince you to think otherwise.
Bivol (23-0, 11 KO), 33, inevitably stopped Zinad from defending his WBA lithe heavyweight title on Saturday and looked razor pointed in the process. The victory set up an undisputed lithe heavyweight championship fight on October 12 in Riyad against Beterbiev, after Russian Bivola withdrew from last weekend’s fight with a knee injury.
Zinad stepped in at tiny notice to replace Beterbiev and can be commended for his ambition during the fight, especially considering he was involved in a tough fight in Australia less than six weeks ago. However, Zinad had never boxed anyone at Bivol’s level before and the result was never in doubt.
Nevertheless, it was still valuable exercise for Bivol, who comes out of his latest title defense with the benefit of staying energetic and recording his first win on a break in 10 fights. The 39-year-old Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO) has not fought since January, and Bivol has boxed only twice in the last two years.
Bivol landed his punches accurately and took care of Zinad efficiently. Beterbiev, the only current champion with a 100% KO rate, will be much more hazardous, but Bivol is better in a confidence-boosting performance on Saturday.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
8 hours agoon
November 23, 2024In 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.
Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
1 day agoon
November 23, 2024Former 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.
Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
2 days agoon
November 21, 2024One 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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