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Jason Mallia fights back with a broken eye, beats Ben Horn to become Australian welterweight champion

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Former amateur Jason Mallia (9-0, 5 KOs) cruised through his first 10-round fight with flying colours to claim a commanding points victory over tough-as-nails Ben Horn (6-8, 1 KO) to be crowned Australian welterweight champion at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park, Melbourne on Thursday evening.

Mallia, 29, a crafty boxer-puncher with quick hands, didn’t have things going his way early on after Horn’s right hook badly damaged his left eye. Horn, with his awkward, pressuring style, came at Mallia in the third round, targeting his damaged eyeball.

Mallia, with restricted vision, had to box through adversity for the next few rounds. He had the better of it in the fourth, pushing Horn away and landing faster punches. The left hook was a particularly effective weapon for the Melbourne native, while the overhand right snapped Horn’s head back. But to the credit of the younger brother of former WBO welterweight titleholder Jeff Horn, the 34-year-old from Brisbane seemed unfazed by the attack.

Mallia continued to work better in the fifth round, but his left eye remained a problem. Horn fell behind and had to find another gear in the sixth round, and although he failed to do so, he largely gave it his all and engaged in some energetic exchanges.

As the fight wore on, Mallia settled into his rhythm. Horn’s onslaught became less habitual and more predictable. Mallia managed to mix piercing jabs with movement, repeatedly landing piercing right hooks on Horn.

With one round left in the fight for the vacant national crown, Horn was told in the corner by his trainer Glenn Rushton to go out there and look for a knockout. Horn tried, but Mallia had all the answers. In the second half of the round, he hit Horn with a relentless right hook to the face that snapped his head back and caused a nosebleed.

After the ballots were counted, Mallia was declared the winner by a vote of 98-92, 100-90 and 99-91.

“He hit me with a really good shot and I knew I had to stay focused. It was a little rugged at first, but I just stuck to the plan,” Mallia said, squinting through his injured left eye after the win.

“Anyone who knows me and knows my story knows I was in boxing and I always came up miniature, so this means everything to me. It goes back to when I was 13, when I was the little boy inside me. I trained so challenging and everyone knows I don’t take the effortless way out, so this means everything to me.”

***

In the highlight reel, junior middleweight support Lilo Telepe (5-0, 5 KOs) lived up to expectations by dropping and stopping Luke Gersbeck (7-1-1, 5 KOs) midway through the fourth round of their eight-round bout.

Telepe, from Auckland, Fresh Zealand, boxs in Melbourne’s western suburbs. The 19-year-old has been making waves with his explosive style since turning pro in April last year, knocking out his first four opponents in less than two rounds. In his first eight-round fight with Gersbeck, the real question was how Telepe would fare if his opponent managed to get him deep into the fight. We barely got to find out.

Gersbeck, 30, from Balaclava, was clearly the more astute boxer. But that didn’t matter much against the crouching Telepe, who dragged him into the trenches and regularly won exchanges when he broke through.

The first sign that Gersbeck might be in trouble came early in the second round when Telepe sent his mouthpiece flying. Telepe continued to press, finding success with a three-punch combination to the body and head that dropped Gersbeck to the boards.

Gersbeck recovered towards the end of the third and with a series of powerful shots lifted Telepe’s head off the ground, but it was not enough to make up for the deficit and win the points.

Gersbeck’s faster hands continued to land in the third round, but Telepe remained hazardous with his powerful punches that were thrown from all sides. The pace of the fight was already starting to show, as both boxers were visibly tired by the sound of the bell. Gersbeck returned to the corner with swelling and a compact cut under his right eye. A piercing right hook to the jaw from Telepe was the most noticeable punch of the round.

Things quickly came to a head in the fourth round. Telepe’s relentless pressure paid dividends as he hit the tiring Gersbeck with a punch that sent him to the canvas. Gersbeck beat the count but Telepe charged back, landing a double-fisted punch on the defenseless boxer on the ropes. Referee Brett Manton stepped in to save Gersbeck from further punishment at 1:52 of the round.

Telepe celebrated his victory with a backflip off the top rope.

***

In a thrilling and active eight-round fight for the vacant Victorian middleweight title, Blake Wells (11-2, 5 KOs) won on points over Apai Cook (3-2, 3 KOs) by the narrowest of eight rounds.

At 6-foot-1, Wells seemed to have all the physical advantages over Cook, who was four inches shorter, and for the first two rounds it seemed that way. But Cook began to find his range in the third, crushing his opponent with challenging punches.

In the fourth round, Cook tried his hand at the left-handed Wells and even showed off a bit, which cost him dearly slow in the round when Wells’ right hook caught him on the chin and sent him to the canvas.

The fifth round saw several lively exchanges with both boxers trading on equal terms. Cook opened a compact vertical cut above Wells’ eye with a leading right hand slow in the round.

Wells boxed well early in the sixth round, but the pace of the fight began to take its toll as Cook began to land ponderous punches, landing challenging to the body and head. Wells went straight at Cook early in the seventh round, but came up miniature in the exchanges. He had more success as the fight went on, but his punches were snail-paced. Cook snapped Wells’ head back with a right hook slow in the round and continued to attack the body with venom.

Wells landed a few nifty left hooks in the eighth, but Cook responded with a head-splitting left hook. Cook’s ponderous bodywork continued into the final round, with many combinations ending with a breadbasket punch.

The winner was ultimately decided by knockdown, with Wells winning the fight by a score of 76-75 on two judges’ scores, while the third judge had Cook have the same advantage.

A rematch would not be a disappointment.

Other results

Joel Taylor UD 6 Kohei Hatanaka

Billy Polkinghorn by TKO 2 Wilber Carame

Vita Pomale UD 6 Heath Graham

Dominic Molinaro TKO 4 Elliott Glenister

Andrew Eglezos TKO 2 Suriya Thongkoed

Liam Reynolds KO 4 Deng Mawut Atem

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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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