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Martin Bakole praises ‘risky’ Jared Anderson

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Martin Bakole paid tribute to Jared Anderson, who was willing to “take a chance” on fighting him on Saturday.

The heavyweights will square off at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in a pre-fight between Israil Madrimov and Terence Crawford, and it will be the toughest test yet for the promising Anderson.

At 24 and after 17 fights, Anderson was already considered the future of the heavyweight division. There were plans to match him up with Deontay Wilder until Wilder was defeated by Zhilei Zhang, but unlike Wilder – who remains one of the biggest names in his division – Bakole does not have the profile required in the US to boost Anderson.

Should Anderson win, he will likely survive a fight that will greatly improve his skills as a fighter, but he will receive little credit for it as the Congolese Bakole’s reputation outside the UK is negligible.

The 32-year-old Bakole is considered arguably the most hazardous heavyweight outside the elite, so for Anderson he represents minimal reward and maximum risk – something even Bakole admits.

“I can’t believe it because when I looked at some of the records, he’s never fought anyone like me,” he told BoxingScene. “He’s never fought anyone like me. So he’s a man. He takes risks. Even I’ll take risks like he does. I always challenge all the top guys. I want to prove everyone wrong. He says yes to fighting me; it’s a gigantic test for him.”

“I wish him the best of luck. That’s all I can say – good luck. He’s a boxer; he’s got the skills. That’s all I know. I don’t watch his fights. I’ve only seen a little clip of him knocking people out, but if I check the rankings, I see the people he’s knocking out – he’s still building his career. But I’m a gigantic fish, I’m a gigantic man – a gigantic tough guy – so I don’t think that’s going to happen to me.

“[Wilder] he lost not by points but by knockout. So he needs time to recover. I think that’s the reason why there is no one who can replace Wilder if Martin Bakole is not there, because I am number one [in the] WBA Rankings. [Anthony] Joshua came for me; before Joshua there was Wilder. Maybe they’re trying to take my ranking away, but that’s it. All I know is my team contacted me. They said I’ll fight. So I said, “Yes.”

Bakole has only lost once, in 2018 when he fought Michael Hunter due to a right shoulder injury. Since then, he has had some impressive victories, including a trip to Poland to stop Mariusz Wach and to Paris to beat Tony Yoka by decision.

“I never even think about Anderson, but I know he’s good; he’s adolescent; he’s still coming,” he continued. “My vision is to fight in the gigantic fights; to fight Joshua; to fight Tyson Fury. But he’s still adolescent; he’s coming. I want to fight all these top guys, so he’s the one who has the same ambition.

“All my life [I’ve waited for an opportunity like this]. It’s just the beginning, so I still have a gigantic fight ahead of me. I wanted to see myself in the middle with Joe Joyce; in the middle with Joshua; in the middle with [Oleksandr] Usyk and Tyson Fury, that’s my dream.

“I think I’ll get a gigantic chance after this fight. Some people say they want Martin Bakole to win, but I just win. We all lose – we all make mistakes – so Michael Hunter was a mistake for me. I went to the gym and fixed it – look who I am today. I never lost again, so everyone learns from their mistakes.

“It will all depend on the fight, on winning, and then we’ll see who people want me to fight. Maybe I’ll ask a few people after I win the fight – I’ll ask people to tell me who they want me to fight.”

A potential future opponent, if victorious, is the winner of the fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Jarrell Miller, with Bakole saying, “I think it’s a good fight. If ‘Baby’ Miller trains well and is in shape, I think it’s 50-50. If he’s not in shape, I think Ruiz can stop him, or maybe on points.”

“I see the state [Miller] was in the fight with Daniel Dubois. If he maintains this weight and does not train well, anything can happen. I see it in this fight, 60 [in favor of Ruiz]40 percent [for Miller].”

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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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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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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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