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Lampley believes Benavidez can become the ‘face of boxing’

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Image: David Benavidez Doubts Gvozdyk's Chin, Eyes Knockout Victory

Commentator Jim Lampley believes that David Benavidez has a chance to become the “face of boxing”. Former HBO announcer Lampley rates Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO) highly, believing he can one day move up to heavyweight and become a potential world champion.

For now, Benavidez will fight Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KO) for the interim WBC delicate heavyweight title this Saturday, June 15, on PBC on Prime Video PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

If Benavidez is successful, he could face the winner of the undisputed 175-pound title between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in 2025. Benavidez’s chances of becoming the “face of boxing” would be high if he managed to defeat Gvozdyk and then beat Bivol – Beterbiev winner

Staying at 175 and then moving up to cruiserweight will support Benavidez become the face of boxing because if he drops back down to 168 pounds, he won’t be getting the fights he needs to become the No. 1 star in the sport.

Canelo Alvarez won’t fight Benavidez, and there aren’t any substantial names in the 168-pound division for him to fight. If he stays at 175 pounds long enough to become undisputed, it will escalate his popularity. Moving up to cruiserweight and then heavyweight will transform Benavidez into a superstar if he keeps winning.

Jim Lampley: “David, I just had a surprising moment. I asked Oleksandr Gvozdyk, ‘What happened between you and David when you were sparring in Oxnard,’ and he replied, ‘It didn’t go well for me at all,'” Lampley said PPV_Com. “You don’t usually get such an straightforward answer.

“He said, ‘The fact was I couldn’t deal with him. He was too mighty and too powerful. It wasn’t a good sparring session for me, but things will turn out differently. Are you surprised that he gave me such an straightforward answer?”

David Benavidez: “I am amazed and appreciate his honesty, but it won’t get any better for him. I was 20 or 21 when I sparred with him. So imagine everything I’ve been through and learned.

“Not only in terms of boxing, but also in terms of strength and conditioning; everything I need to do to bring out the best in myself. It will get even worse for him. Hats off to him. He’s a great guy. It’s going to be a great fight while it lasts, but I’m definitely going to go in there and beat him.”

Lampley: “I asked him, ‘What about your jab, that’s the best in sports?’ He said: “It didn’t work against him.” This is amazing again.”

Benavidez: “Neither his jab worked nor his right hand. I took his best weapon. Now that I know what he’s doing, it’ll be even worse for him. I don’t exploit it to try and be arrogant and try to overlook him. I’m still working extremely tough because I know I have the right weapons, but it will be a great victory for the Benavidez team.

Lampley: “I was just watching a lot of the talks at the press conference and there were a lot of references to the quote: ‘The face of boxing.’ I think you have a chance to be the face of boxing and I think it will be a much more dignified mode than what I saw today.”

Benavidez: “Oh yes, definitely. Sometimes it comes to a boiling point when two men don’t like each other, but I want to show the players that we can be gentlemen in this sport. We can behave differently.

“Sometimes you get two people who don’t like each other and that’s what happens sometimes. It doesn’t have to happen like this all the time.”

Lampley: “Nothing happened during that press conference that would change your approach to the fight.”

Benavidez: “Me and my fight. I study film a lot and do my homework on this guy. He’s a great guy and it’s going to be a great fight. I’m looking forward to it.”

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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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