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Liam Wilson stops Youssef Dib in eight rounds, renews call-up for Kambosos fight

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Liam Wilson had his moments in his fight with Emanuel Navarrete. (Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)

Liam Wilson doubles down on Kambosos after knocking out Youssef Dib in eight rounds

By Anthony Cocks

Liam Wilson’s career hung in the balance as he headed to the ring on Wednesday night to face Youssef Dib in his lightweight debut at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Novel South Wales, Australia.

It was hoped that a move to the 135-pound weight class would refresh his career.

And so it happened.

Wilson stopped Dib in the eighth round and immediately re-booked himself for a fight with George Kambosos Jr.

The plucky 28-year-old from Caboolture in Queensland has had a tough time of it lately. Two trips to the United States to face world-class junior opponents in the past 18 months ended disastrously, with deadly boxers Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez finishing him off in what were otherwise close fights, leaving him with a 2-2 record in his last four outings.

Critics will argue that 31-year-old Sydneysider Dib was made for Wilson, and in a way he was. In the fights with Navarrete and Valdez, Wilson only ran into trouble when he decided to trade with the brutal Mexican duo. Dib, with a modest record of 11 knockouts from 21 wins and one loss, was never the guy to shake him up and get him into a fight quickly in their scheduled 10-round fight.

For the first two rounds, Dib used every inch of the ring, circling left and right, daring Wilson to find him. The game plan seemed to be to frustrate Wilson and get him to make mistakes. When that didn’t work, Dib knew he’d have to get more involved.

Things heated up tardy in the third round when Wilson landed a right hook followed by a left rip. Not to be outdone, Dib landed a right hook to the jaw.

In the fourth round, Wilson began to attack with his body, landing a pair of left hooks tardy in the round before catching Dib on the chin with a crushing right hook. Dib regrouped in the fifth round, busting Wilson’s nose early on, but regained the favor tardy in the same round.

Dib moved forward in the sixth, landing a counter right over Wilson’s left hand, who looked a bit reckless. Behind schedule in the round, Wilson landed a piercing left hook and a stiff right cross, but Dib had already had his best round of the fight.

In the seventh, Wilson applied pressure, determined to see if Dib could withstand his ferocious attacks. Halfway through, a thunderous body kick visibly hurt Dib. And although he evaded a few good right hooks of his own, a strike to the midsection sent him reeling.

Sensing his opponent was hurt, Wilson went for the finish in the eighth round – and did so in style. A low left hook to the mustache jolted Dib early in the round, sending him back onto his heels. Wilson jumped him, pushing him away to give himself some space, then landed a long left hook to Dib’s chin, who was pinned to the ropes. A final left hook sent Dib to the mat.

Referee Les Fear stopped the fight at 0:45 of the round. Wilson was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage, 68-65 and 67-66 twice.

The finale was as handsome as it was wild.

“The game plan was to box and pick my punches,” Wilson (14-3, 8 KOs) said after his victory in the Sam Goodman vs. Chainoi Worawut fight. “I knew if I kept up the pace, the punch would land. I didn’t even intend to hurt him, but when I did, I threw a couple of left hooks.”

Wilson has been calling out former Ring lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr (21-3, 10 KOs) for some time now, and he didn’t let the opportunity pass him by in his post-fight interview.

“I’ve been wanting this fight for a long time,” Wilson said of the 31-year-old Sydney native, who has a 1-3 record in his last four fights.

“Me and my team, my manager Glen Jennings, we really want this fight. Moving down to lightweight tonight was for that reason.

“This is the fight Australia deserves. And doesn’t George want his own domestic fight? I definitely do. Let’s do it. Let’s do it.”

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Boxing

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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Boxing

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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