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Jack Catterall tells Teofimo Lopez, “Just bring it!”

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Jack Catterall beats Josh Taylor

Jack Catterall sealed it with a kiss as the Chorley Super-Lightweight ended a two-year wait for revenge by beating Josh Taylor last night in Leeds.

In a fight that will go down as one of the best British fights of the year, there was once again an element of controversy in the powder keg clash between the two older foes, with the judges’ scoring coming into question just like their first fight some two years ago.

There was no doubt, however, that the right man put his hands up in victory this time, as Catterall avenged the only defeat of his career with a unanimous 117-111, 117-111, 116-113 points victory.

A sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Leeds First Direct Arena congratulated the Jamie Moore-trained player on his long-awaited success – led, of course, by his biggest supporter and proud partner Lauren Finch, whom Catterall will marry in 10 days’ time.

And as the pair embraced in the center of the ring, Catterall (29-1, 13 KO) quickly outlined his ambitions to become the 140-pound world champion, with his sights set firmly on securing the belts he believes he should have acquired in Glasgow in 2022, when he was first refused office against the then undisputed king in Taylor.

Catterall, who ran an impressive 10k in Manchester today (Sunday) despite his exhausting praise less than 24 hours ago, highlighted his goals during his post-fight press conference alongside Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn – and revealed his hopes of fighting the champion world WBO and Ring Magazine, Teofimo Lopez next.

“The world title has always been a dream for me,” Catterall said.

“We didn’t win the undisputed title and we didn’t win the world titles last time. But that’s okay, because this chapter has now been rewritten.

“We’re in a great position and Eddie (Hearn) has a huge stable at 140 pounds, so I want that world title fight.

“I have been a mandatory candidate for the WBO title my whole life. He beat Taylor before me. We both won against him and now I want to prove that I am better than him. I believe I have the style to beat Lopez and that’s the fight I want.

“It’s time to share the ring with you (Teofimo Lopez). Let’s see who the real champion is.”

After winning the fight last night, the 30-year-old added: “It was a huge relief. We had been there before and I approached Eddie (Hearn) directly because I thought I had clearly won the first fight and then I thought I had clearly won this one too. However, you never know with some scorecards, so it was a real relief for me to make this decision.

“I knew what threats Josh would bring and that I had to be disciplined and not get complacent. But I also knew I had to push and squeeze to win because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sprint to victory. I had to keep my emotions intact and take opportunities when I saw them.

“You have to be prepared for any outcome and adapt. We didn’t know if Josh would do it. out of the blocks for the first four rounds, or will he try to drag it out in the later rounds. I trained strenuous and you have to be ready for anything. I had a long camp with some great sparring partners, so ultimately I had to adapt and face what lay ahead.

Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn agrees Catterall has now earned the right to challenge for the world title and insists the Englishman would have no difficulty achieving the feat if he next collided with Lopez.

“After a fight like this, with a profile like this in front of a sold-out crowd and a huge audience around the world live on DAZN and also in the US on ESPN+, Jack is number one,” Hearn said.

“Of course people are talking about a trilogy (with Taylor). For me, I will always watch the greatest fights in history. But it’s also critical that we look at the massive fights in Jack Catterall’s career.

“He should have been the undisputed world champion, so now we have to try and set him up for the world championship. When you have a show like that and a night like that, it’s a lot easier to line up someone like that because people want to see it.

“In a few weeks (June 15), Subriel Matias will fight Liam Paro and Devin Haney will fight Sandor Martin.

“Teofimo Lopez is fighting Steve Claggett – and with no disrespect to Steve Claggett, it is a disgrace. This is a joke fight for someone who claims to be the best 140-pound fighter in the world. Jack Catterall is the guy who should fight Teofimo Lopez and we believe he will beat him all day long.

“We believe that Jack should be world champion now, but that is in the past and is now the next natural step. One thing we know for sure: the upcoming fight will be huge and if I have a choice, it will be a world title fight against Lopez.”

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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

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.

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

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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.

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Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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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.

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