Boxing
Jared Anderson Takes Risky Fight With Martin Bakole On August 3
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaUndefeated heavyweight contender Jared Anderson will take a risky fight against highly ranked Martin Bakole on August 3, fighting on the undercard of His Excellency Turki Alalshikha at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Top Rank’s 24-year-old Jared Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) hasn’t fought anyone as high as Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs) throughout his five-year professional career, and his recent wins over Ryad Merhy and Charles Martin haven’t exactly been great.
Some believe that Top Rank’s decision to book Anderson against the shark Bakole is a sink-or-swim decision to see if his career is worth investing in any longer.
If Anderson falls apart as soon as he fights for a world title, Top Rank should see if he can handle it. The way Anderson mentally collapsed in the latter rounds of his fight with former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin last year was not a good sign.
Anderson is ranked #4 WBO, #5 IBF, #6 WBC and #13 WBA. These rankings are a result of Anderson’s wins over these fighters:
-Ryad Merhy
– Andriy Rudenko: 40
-Charles Martin: 38
-George Arias
-Jerry Forrest
-Miljan Rovcanin
These aren’t the heavyweights Top Rank has lined up with Jared Anderson, and it’s pretty clear he was brought in the same way Edgar Berlanga was in the company. That’s why Bakole is a huge risk for Anderson. He’s a real fighter with real talent, and he could finish what Charles Martin started when he hurt Jared twice in their July 1, 2023, fight.
Bakole is ranked #1 WBA, #7 WBC, #11 WBO and #14 IBF. He has notable wins over Carlos Takam, Tony Yoka and Sergey Kuzmin. Those three weightlifters are far better than anyone on Jared Anderson’s five-year resume.
“It’s risky matchmaking. Brilliant, by the way. As a fan, I don’t represent Martin Bakole or Jared Anderson. That’s why I love it,” Eddie Hearn told Boxing in the match roomtalking about the heavyweight fight that will take place on August 3rd between undefeated Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole.
This is a very risky fight for Jared Anderson, especially considering the level of opposition he faces. It’s a huge step up in class for him, and there’s a good chance he won’t make it.
His Excellency is probably paying Jared a ton of money to face Bakole, so losing wouldn’t be the end of the world. Anderson can cry himself to the bank and then try to pick up the pieces of his ruined career.
“It’s one of the fights on the card that I’m looking forward to. I think it’s a immaculate 50-50 heavyweight matchup,” Hearn said. “Jared Anderson, people in the States have a lot of respect for him. If you look at the teenage heavyweight prospects that are coming up, he’s the best of the best American prospects who already have a massive name.”
Of all the fights on the Aug. 3 card, Anderson vs. Bakole is the one that is truly a 50-50 matchup, and that makes it thrilling. The outcome will shape the careers of both fighters.
For Anderson to lose by knockout would be devastating because he would find out what his true level is and he would not be joyful about that. It would be good for Top Rank to find out if Anderson is real.
If he wins and looks great, promoter Bob Arum will have a guy to take over as older heavyweights retire. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are all in their twilight years and are incredibly wealthy. Anderson could be the guy to take over as the best heavyweight in the division.
“I know His Excellency is a massive fan. Jared is an ambassador for the season in Riyadh,” Hearn said. “I’m not sure if it’s good matchmaking. Martin Bakole, as everyone knows, is a legitimate top-10 heavyweight.”
His Excellency may be mistaken for Jared Anderson if he fails this test against Bakole, but it will still be dramatic to see the result. This is the one fight Anderson has been missing to show whether he is a real contender or another artificial contender created through skillful matchmaking.
“There’s no doubt about it. If he’s fit and has [courage] for him, I think it’s a very complex night for Jared Anderson. It’s a very, very complex fight. It’s either brilliant matchmaking or a terrible mistake,” Hearn said.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
1 day agoon
January 13, 2025The 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.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd 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.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN 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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