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It looks like Ryosuke Nishida is going to an all-Japan tournament to be crowned the bantam king

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The Japanese takeover of the bantamweight division is over after two sanctioning belts changed hands in the last few days.

On Monday, former kickboxer Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KO) fought for Jason Moloney’s (27-3, 19 KO) WBO belt after a surprise unanimous decision victory at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Two days earlier, Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1 KO) took the IBF belt from Emmanuel Rodriguez (22-3, 13 KO) at the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan.

Southpaws Takei and Nishida, 27, join compatriots Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20 KO) and Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KO) as 118-pound titleholders. Nakatani, another lefty, holds the WBC belt, while Inoue successfully defended his WBA bombshell with a unanimous decision against veteran Sho Ishida (34-3, 17 KO) at the Tokyo Dome.

It looks like the stripes are here to stay in the Land of the Rising Sun for a while.

Takei put up a clever fight against Moloney, proving that there was more to his game than just raw power. Deducting points at the beginning of the match for a bad streak did not ruin his ambitions, because he comprehensively defeated the 33-year-old Australian and won twice with the scores 117-110 and 116-111.

Nishida, ranked No. 9 by The Ring in the bantamweight division, was equally impressive against 31-year-old Rodriguez of Puerto Rico. The light-hitting Nishida elected to stay in the pocket and trade for most of the fight, a decision that left him with both the IBF belt and a disfigured face at the final bell. In the fourth round, Rodriguez fell after a powerful left wing to the body and for a moment it seemed that he would not be able to continue playing. The fight was ultimately close, with Nishida twice securing victory by unanimous decision 117-110 and 115-112.

With the victory, Nishida becomes the second world champion of promoter and manager Takashi Edagawa, who led Nobuo Nashiro to the WBA junior bantamweight title 18 years ago.

Mike Altamura, who was a matchmaker and adviser for Muto Boxing Gym in Edagawa during the fight, said he didn’t expect the fighting style Nishida delivered.

“Man, he even surprised me with how much trench warfare he was doing,” the Australian told The Ring the day after his victory. “It’s good to know he has it in reserve. I thought it was over in the fourth minute when Manny went to the canvas with a body shot. Full credit to him for coming back stronger.”

The only thing that didn’t surprise Altamura was Nishida’s precise punching power.

“A shot to the body at the right moment hits differently, regardless of the assumed power. Nishida also knocked out solid players in the head with well-timed shots,” Altamura said.

“I knew there were moments where Nishida would have to stay on his feet and make trades because Rodriguez is hard and deceptively long, and Nishida would have to be prepared for those moments. But I expected him to take advantage of the jab and hold it longer. The team assured me a few weeks ago that tactically Ryo could wage trench warfare and keep Rodriguez on time between his punches, but it was amazing to watch him do it for almost 12 rounds. The true spirit of the samurai.

“Attacking the body was certainly part of the strategy. Nishida has great timing, so it’s no surprise to us that he landed such a punch. Full credit to Manny for getting back up and coming back stronger. He is a true champion and ring fighter.

“Before the fight, the expectation was that Rodriguez was a great fighter and would not come to Osaka to casually relinquish the belt. We knew he was a well-rounded, gutsy fighter and that his strongest rounds would likely come tardy in the fight. He won a couple of the middle rounds, but he also worked tirelessly, so there was never any panic considering the lead Nishida had gained early on.

Photos of Nishida’s face posted on social media after the fight proved that he was involved in the brawl. His right eye was black and almost swollen, and his right cheek was bulging as if he had a immense plug of chewing tobacco stuck in his gum. A well-deserved rest is on the agenda before a potential unification fight.

“You know that currently three-quarters of the 118-pound belts are in Japanese hands and if Takei beat Moloney, it would be a Japanese hit,” Altamura explained. “We have heard whispers about a Japanese super tournament that would crown an undisputed champion. But let’s see. Nishida fought such a pretty, emotional battle and deserves time to bask in the glory and refill his tank.”

It looks like the golden era of Japanese boxing will continue for some time to come.

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Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

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Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

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Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.

This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.

In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.

“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.

“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.

Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.

Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.

Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.

However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.

In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.

It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.

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Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

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Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.

Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”

WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.

Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.

As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.

However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.

Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.

Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.

Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.

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