Results
Jai Opetaia vs. Jordan Thompson
Jai Opetaia defended his IBF cruiserweight title for the first time at Wembley Arena and it was an emphatic moment when he mercilessly stopped Jordan Thompson in the fourth round of their meeting.
Australia’s Opetaia (23-0, 18 KO) won the title in impressive fashion last July, hurting Mairis Briedis several times en route to a points victory, while Thompson (15-1, 12 KO) came to the title with circumscribed professional and amateur experience, but was ranked high enough in the IBF rankings to earn that title shot.
It was a grueling first round for the Briton as Opetaia quickly found his range and landed several punches that hurt the challenger, a powerful left hand and another attack that left him unsteady before the bell rang to save him.
The Australian southpaw smelled blood and more left hooks landed on target in the second round as Thompson was covered in blood, and when the 30-year-old decided to attack in the third round, it didn’t lend a hand as the champion landed chopping shots to score the knockdown.
“Troublesome” took down the count, but the end seemed inevitable, and upon the restart, several punishing blows landed, but he was brave and survived the round.
However, lessons were learned after a few seconds in the fourth round. Opetaia landed a brutal left hand that irritated Thompson, and another right jab sent him reeling to the canvas as the referee waved off the fight.
Opetaia, 28, called for a unification fight against WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith, who was watching the fight from ringside.
Scotney defended his world title
Ellie Scotney is emerging as an exceptional world champion, and the Croydon resident defended her IBF super bantamweight title for the first time, clearly outperforming Laura Soledad Griffa.
Scotney (8-0) was simply too good for Griffa (20-9, 1 KO), defeating them 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91.
Clarke’s cruises match Ducar’s
Cheavon Clarke scored a useful ten rounds to capture the vacant IBF International cruiserweight title with a clear points victory over the always hard-wearing Vasil Ducar (14-7-2, 10 KO).
Clarke (7-0, 5 KO) won by two scores of 99-91 and the third by a score of 98-92.
Dixon is European champion
Rhiannon Dixon became the up-to-date European lightweight champion, winning the vacant title after defeating former world title challenger Katharina Thanderz (16-2, 2 KO).
Dixon (9-0, 1 KO) dominated and won 100-90 on all three cards.
Best win of your career! 🔥@RhiannonDixon3 defeats Katharina Thanderz on points and wins the European lightweight champion title! 👏👏#DixonThanderz #OpetaiaThompson pic.twitter.com/Eq48RMihvS
— Boxing at Matchroom (@MatchroomBoxing) September 30, 2023
Undercard remaining
Shannon Ryan (6-0) won every eighth round in the super flyweight division against Xenia Jorneac (11-7, 3 KOs), and Maisey Rose Courtney (5-0) defeated Martina Bernile (5-3-1) 58-56 in their six-round flyweight.
Jerzy Liddard (5-0, 3 KO) won all six sessions against Peter Kramer (14-9-3, 10 KO) in the middleweight meeting, and Ibraheem Sulaimaan (2-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated, winning all four frames at weight lightweight against Joshua Ocampo (8-16-5, 6 KO).
Jimmy Sains (1-0, 1 KO) made a solid debut, defeating Bartłomiej Stryczek (1-1) in the third of the scheduled four rounds in the middleweight division.
Daniel Dubois has revealed that his goal is an undisputed title clash with the winner of this weekend’s rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight title against former world champion Joseph Parker on February 22 and arrived in Riyadh earlier this week to watch Saturday’s clash between Usyk and Fury.
After being written off by many recently, “Dynamite” has been in the form of his life lately, picking up three stoppage wins off the back of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
It was said that the heavy-handed 27-year-old would immediately enter into a rematch with Joshua, but “AJ” and his team did not agree with this idea.
And keep talking talkSPORT today, Dubois stated that he has his eye on unifying the four belts with the winner of Saturday’s rematch if he manages to overtake Parker.
“I’m here in Saudi Arabia and I want a winner on Saturday night.
I want to fight for an undisputed result, that’s the game now and that’s the goal.
“100% [I would beat them]. This is my time now. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’m a recent man.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
“I am ready to fight for the undisputed, win it and make history.
“I evolved and learned from my mistakes.
“The team did well and I’m firing on all cylinders now. Let’s go!”
Like Dubois, Parker is also in the best form of his career and comes into the match on the back of upset wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
The situation in the heavyweight division in 2025 depends on the outcome of the epic rematch on Saturday evening, in which three world titles will be up for grabs.
Usyk hurt and released Fury en route to a split decision victory when they first faced off in May, and many believe the ‘Gypsy King’ has everything to do if he wants to reverse the result.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
A third fight between the pair is contractually agreed if the Morecambe man wins, provided neither he nor ‘The Cat’ withdraws after the second battle at the Kingdom Arena.
Paulie Malignanggi believes that Tyson Fury is no longer the same fighter he once was, and he will not beat Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch.
Fury decides to take revenge for his own loss of split decision to Usyk in May, when he meets the Ukrainian for the second time in Riyad.
Fury was given eight points after tripping over the ropes following a powerful attack from his rival, and Malignaggi feels his three fights with Deontay Wilder, in which he fell four times, are starting to catch up with him.
“I don’t know if Wilder and Fury are the same after these three fights,” the 41-year-old said talkSPORT Boxing.
“Wilder certainly didn’t look the same as Fury to me, his impact resistance was always one of the best.
“He got up from Deontay Wilder’s punches that would have made buildings collapse, and now Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight, turned him around and dropped him in the first fight.
“What are the lasting effects of the Wilder trilogy?
“Who is one of the most devastating boxers in history.”
The “Gypsy King” suffered the first defeat in his 36-fight professional career, but announced that he would end the 37-year-old’s career on Saturday.
Usyk remains undefeated in his 22-fight professional career, and in May he won the undisputed heavyweight title, the first man in the four-belt era to do so.
Former world champion Malignaggi believes that Usyk, who vacated the IBF belt after the first fight, will repeat the feat.
“I will choose Usyk,” he added.
“I don’t think Fury has it anymore.
“It’s no disrespect to Fury.
“I’ve always loved Fury, I’m just not sure if he can bring him back.”
Frank Warren today revealed that a third fight between the two teams is in the contract – provided Fury emerges victorious and neither retires – while the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua could be an alternative option for the Manchester fighter.
Tyson Fury described both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as “very constrained” compared to him ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who saw Dubois defeat Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, is preparing for a second fight with Usyk on December 21 in Riyad, seven months after his first professional defeat against split decision for the undisputed title of heavyweight champion.
The ‘Gypsy King’ insists he will box in a similar fashion when he faces the Ukrainian for the unified heavyweight titles, as well as facing his rival in midfield, something he believes both Joshua and Dubois were unable to do , when they stood against him.
– What can you expect from me? Fury said during his face-to-face meeting with Usyk TNT Sports.
“Basically the same thing I did before.
“Good boxing.
“It’s not normal for someone my height and weight to be able to box and move and slide, so why should I take that away from my game.
“People tell me: go up to Usyk, take him down and punch him, but if it was so effortless why didn’t Joshua do it, who is a massive, sturdy man?
“Why didn’t Dubois do it?
“These men are constrained compared to me, very constrained.”
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated “AJ” twice on points and stopped Dubois, and Fury became the fifth Briton to fall victim to him.
The Manchester athlete believes it cost him an impressive performance in his first outing and has vowed to remain focused when facing Usyk on Saturday in three weeks’ time.
“I belong to a boxer,” the 36-year-old added.
“Slip, slide, clip, hook.
“I’m going to do it, but with more focus.
“A little more focused on my job and I think that’s my path to victory.”
Merry Christmas from World Boxing News
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