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Jack Rafferty is basking in a career-changing win in memory of his overdue mum

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Jack Rafferty is still texting his mom.

“On the Thursday before my fight, I texted her 38 minutes after three saying, ‘I’m going to win that British title for you. I love you, I will make you proud of me. Just look, red heart of love. Your son will be a British, Commonwealth and WBC silver champion.

“I knew I would win. I had this premonition and it all came true.”

Rafferty (24-0 (15 KO) knows he will never hear back. His mother died almost four years ago. Sending these texts is the best way he can let her know he has kept his promises to her.

On Saturday night, Rafferty defeated undefeated Henry Turner in Liverpool to add the vacant British super lightweight title to his Commonwealth belt.

For seven rounds, the talented Turner consistently implemented his pre-fight plan. After nine rounds, the fight was over.

For most people, this will be their first contact with a Shaw competitor who has been competing on tiny indoor tracks for years.

Rafferty, 29, is known as “The Demolition Man”, but over the years his trainer Steve Maylett has perfected his aggressive style.

Instead of taking him out with a hammer, Maylett has steadily improved Rafferty’s skills and every fight is now a well-planned, controlled demolition.

Rafferty’s confidence in Maylett was evident in his complete lack of panic as the rounds progressed. Turner boxed and moved well, but he moved too much. When he finally had to stop and keep his feet, Rafferty took advantage of the moment. Turner’s corner took him out of the fight after a brutal finish to the ninth round.

As of Monday afternoon, his achievement still hadn’t sunk in.

“No, nowhere near it,” he said. “I woke up this morning and the first thing I said was, ‘I can’t believe I’m British champion.’

“I didn’t even watch the fight. I watched all the videos and watched the clips that were posted on Instagram. I didn’t watch it from start to finish.

“I’m pissed off with my performance and pissed off at how bad my hands were when I allowed myself to hit some shots. But you know, there’s still something to work on.

“I injured my bicep in the third round and I guess you could say I wasn’t that acute, but was he exceptionally acute?”

Rafferty took an exhausted 24-year-old Turner down strenuous at the end of the ninth episode, and as he sat down on a stool, he couldn’t lend a hand but glance over Maylett’s shoulder to see what was happening in the opposite corner. He understood what had happened in front of his coach.

“I knew it,” he said. “I saw him bury his head in the towel and I thought, ‘Oh, I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want to get mad at Steve telling me to focus on this fight,’ but I did. I said, “Steve, he’ll pull it, he’ll hold it.” He said, “Jack, get your shit together for this fight.” I said, “Steve, stop,” and jumped up.

“Every British player has to win this British title. It’s like stage one and stage five, and stage five is the world title. Stage one through three, I can close this book. Boom. Then you will move on to the next stage.”

Reaching the next stage wasn’t basic.

It’s been seven years since Rafferty turned professional, and until Saturday night at the M&S Bank Arena, each of them had been spent in leisure centers and tiny venues. Until June, he had never even boxed on TV; his stoppage of India’s Sabari Jaishankar was shown on DAZN.

Rafferty’s mother may not be there to support him emotionally, but she still plays a key role in helping him achieve his dreams. Rafferty estimates he has spent around £25,000 in 2022 in a desperate attempt to stay dynamic. Much of that sum came from the money she left him. Finally, his chance came this weekend.

Turner was a multiple-time amateur national champion and worked strenuous to take his style to the professional level. He continues to improve and has become accustomed to boxing at major events and dealing with the media attention that comes with it.

It is very basic for a B-side promotion player – especially one who is not familiar with the gigantic events – to develop an inferiority elaborate, accept a tiny part in the spectacle and retreat into his shell.

Aware that he likely wouldn’t get another chance if he let this one get out of hand, Rafferty was determined to impose himself on the fight during the opening press conference and made sure Turner and his team knew it, although he was grateful for the opportunity to do much, much more than just taking part.

“I immediately felt like he respected me,” Rafferty said. “I knew I was bigger and better than him and I thought, ‘Actually, he’s here because of me – yes, I may come out last, but he’s fighting me because of what I did.’

“He showed up overdue in the [final] press conference I told him about at the weigh-in. I said, “Listen, you’re overdue for the press conference and you’re going to be runner-up.” I felt like I won the press conference, if that means anything. I felt like I looked better than him, which doesn’t mean anything, but I felt more grown up; I felt more experienced. I felt like I had done this before and I hadn’t.

“I wanted this. As I told you in the post-fight interview, I closed my eyes and spoke in interviews. I closed my eyes and spoke at press conferences.

“I imagined things like this.

“If you look at me when I walk into the room, I look around at everyone. I shake my head and think, “No, I deserve to be here.” I felt I was in the right place at the right time.”

Winning the British title means the world to Rafferty and his brother Tom [who is also an unbeaten professional]and his father Dave, but there is absolutely no sense that the work has been done.

Before his first-round knockout victory over Lee Appleyard in December, Rafferty told me he sat down and calculated exactly how many days he needed to stay fully committed and focused to achieve everything he wanted.

One of his main goals has been scratched and he has plenty of time to pursue the rest of his dreams.

On Sunday, Rafferty took his newly won titles to his mother’s grave. If all goes according to plan, he should make many more similar visits in the future.

“The plans now are to grow and listen to Steve and dedicate my life until I am 34,” he said.

“Steve said, ‘We’ll get you the British title and then let’s go for the world title.’ Everyone wants to win the world title, but as Steve said, let’s get the British title out of the way first.

“Not only do I have an basic opponent there. He’ll be hazardous in 24 months, this Henry Turner. It will be unbelievable. I beat a good opponent there. It wasn’t just Henry Turner – it was really good Henry Turner.

“I won’t say, ‘I want to win the world title next.’ I’m going to work towards a world title. I’m going to move up to super lightweight and I’ll stay that way, it won’t be a problem.

“Now I will transplant all the time. I’m going on a spa day for my girlfriend and that’s the only day I have booked.

— The plane has already taken off. It will end when I retire – 1,500 days and I hope I never have to work again in my life. This is what I want to do.

I hope these gigantic money fights come next. I’m going to transplant strenuous for them. I’ll improve at the gym. I will do it. I know I will, and you know what? One day, when all is said and done, I will be able to sit back and think, “There was nothing more I could have done.” That’s all I could do.

“This is the feeling I want. But I will do it by winning the world title.”

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Boxing

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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Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory

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Lauren Price

Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.

Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.

Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.

Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.

Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.

Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.

There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.

Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.

McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.

English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.

Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.

Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.

After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.

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